Complications
by Trish47
Summary: Jack, Kate and Sawyer are at the mercy of the Others. Experiments, danger, and romance ensue. The question is: Will they survive the tests? Strongly Jate, but slightly Skate. Set after third season opener. Complete. R&R Please!
1. Chapter 1: A Choice

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original._  
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**Author's Note:** This story takes place directly after the first episode of season three.

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_Chapter 1: A Choice_**  
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The fishy tuna bar left an unusual and nauseating aftertaste in Kate's mouth, but she was glad to have something in her stomach. Even after Ben had offered her strawberries and eggs and bacon for breakfast, she was unable to stomach the food. She had lost her appetite when Ben said that the next two weeks would be "unpleasant". _What does that mean? _Kate asked herself.

But she didn't want to think about that now. Right now she was with Sawyer, someone who was going through the same thing she was: being taken prisoner by the mysterious Others. Although their situation might be precarious, Sawyer was still able to joke about it. That made her smile. He always had a way to brighten the times when she was scared.

Kate looked around her surroundings, still munching on the dried tuna bar. It was an eerie place. At one time it had obviously been used to house animals, possibly the polar bears that they had discovered on the island. But where were all the animals now? Why were they using the cages to hold humans? The tall trees surrounding the makeshift zoo cast a shadow over the cages, even though the sun was at its zenith. It was an empty place. Kate couldn't see anyone but Sawyer. _Wait…where's...  
_

"Where's Jack?" she asked him, forgetting her half finished tuna bar.

"Is that all you can think about, Freckles? Jack? Hardly seems like he's our biggest concern at the moment," Sawyer said with a slight frown on his face. "We need to focus on getting the hell out of here. I don't give a damn where the Doc is."

Kate didn't say anything, but gave him a cross look. Sawyer sighed and raised his hands in a defeated gesture. "I don't know where he is. Haven't seen him since I woke up."

The frown on her forehead deepened. _Where is Jack? Why isn't he out here with us? Why are they keeping us separated?_

Sawyer noticed her expression. "Don't fret it Freckles, I'm sure Lover Boy is just fine." After a pause he added, "He can take care of himself."

Kate gave him a small smile, but before she could say anything else, a band of four Others appeared from around the corner.

"Hello again," the leader, Tom, said. "Time for a field trip." He smiled and then signaled them to split up so that two Others would go to each of the captives. Tom and another man went over to Sawyer's cage, while the other man and the girl Kate recalled as being named Alex approached hers. Both prisoners were handcuffed before they were allowed to open the cage doors.

As soon as Sawyer's cage door was flung open, he pushed his way over to Kate. "Don't worry Freckles, I won't leave you," he said in a very serious voice, giving her a little bit of reassurance.

"Thanks," she managed to whisper as her chafed wrists rubbed against the unforgiving metal of the handcuffs.

The Others guided them along a dirt path, and then led them down a flight of stairs buried in the sand near the coast. The stairs reminded her of a war bunker or bomb shelter. It was dark and dank and smelled like the ocean. The walls were damp with water, and small puddles gathered in spots on the floor. It almost seemed like it had rained.

Sawyer was in front of her, being led through what seemed an endless tunnel. Suddenly the procession stopped. Kate kept going and bumped into Sawyer's back. His warmth spread over her body and she felt oddly at peace. She felt like everything was going to turn out all right. She would be safe with Sawyer.

They entered a large but dark room. The only indication of its size was the echoing of footsteps along the walls. Kate felt herself being pulled away from Sawyer.

"Kate!" he yelled, clearly fighting his captors in an attempt to get to her. She was touched by his concern. But still, his weakened body was no match for the strength of the Others and they were pulled apart.

Then another voice was heard in the room.

"Kate?" It was weak and unsure, but she knew who it was.

"Jack? Jack! Is that you? Where are you? Are you hurt?" His voice was farther away, on the opposite side of the hall, and she almost ran toward it, but her captors restrained her.

"I'll be fine. What about you? Did they hurt you? Where's Sawyer?"

"I'm over here Doc," Sawyer chimed in, almost sounding annoyed.

Kate's captors forced her to stop in the middle of the room. Then, they attached her hands to a chain above her head.

"Hey! What are you doing? What's this for?" she questioned, but she was ignored. "Ow, you're hurting me!"

At the same time, Jack and Sawyer were also chained; Jack to the wall on her right and Sawyer to the one on her left.

"What's the big idea?" Sawyer said, cursing to himself as he tested the strength of the bonds. They were almost too tight to move.

The Others that had brought Kate and Sawyer in left the room without saying a word. All of a sudden, a light flickered on, illuminating the room. She closed her eyes and blinked rapidly to try to adjust to the blinding light.

"Welcome Jack, Kate and Sawyer," came the voice of Ben from over an intercom. "Glad you could all be here."

"Let us go you son of a bitch!" Jack shouted at the intercom. A soft chuckle was all he received as a response.

"Kate. Let me just begin by saying how delectable you looked this morning. You're very beautiful underneath the mud and grime." His comment sickened the brunette woman to her stomach.

"Sounds like the Great Oz thinks you're yummy enough to eat Freckles." Sawyer's laughing tone made her wonder if he grasped the seriousness of their predicament. She thought not.

"Shut up Sawyer," Jack said. "Get to the point Ben."

Ben's voice was slightly offended when he continued. "You may recall that I said the next two weeks would be unpleasant for you. I just wanted to inform you that the two men beside you will also have an unpleasant experience these first two weeks."

He paused to let the information sink in. "However, you have the power to bestow a gift of sorts upon one of these two men. They will both be put to the test, but one will have to work harder to appease us."

"I don't understand," she said, frustrated and worried.

"What if really comes down to is who you think is weaker. Whoever you pick will receive…special treatment. The other will suffer more trials, like you."

"But…" she began to protest. 

"It's quite simple," he sighed over the intercom, interrupting her. "You pick whoever you think can't handle more extreme circumstances. But keep in mind," he cautioned, "that these trials are not always going to be physical."

Two men entered the room before Ben spoke again. One went over to Sawyer, and the other went over to Jack. Both had wooden bats in their hands. They gave a silent threat by menacingly dropping them into their hands.

Kate didn't like the look of this. She glanced at Sawyer who was already sizing up his opponent, then at Jack who was gazing back at her.

"If you'd like, we can test to see how strong they are physically now. Perhaps that will help you in your decision. Unless, of course, you've already made up your mind. It's easy, just choose one: Sawyer or Jack. So...who'll it be?"

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This story is complete, but I will be adding more chapters over the next few days. Everything should be uploaded shortly. I hope you liked it. This is my first fan fiction and I would greatly appreciate reviews and comments, both positive and constructive.

** In the next chapter:** Who will Kate choose? Sawyer or Jack? You'll have to keep reading to find out!


	2. Chapter 2: A Decision

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original._  
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**Author's Note: ** Here's the second chapter. Enjoy! and please review!

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_  
Chapter 2: A Decision_

Kate was horrified. She couldn't think straight. She couldn't choose between Jack and Sawyer. How could she pick?

"I'm not going to choose between them. That's sick! You can't make me. I won't do it," she stated firmly.

"Ah, but we will force you, Kate. We knew that you would be hesitant to show who you care about more, so we thought of something that might persuade you. Go ahead men...begin."

As soon as the words were said, the two men standing near Sawyer and Jack lifted their bats and swung…hard. Sawyer's torturer hit him square in the gut, while Jack's hit his shoulder. Sawyer doubled over as much as the handcuffs would allow and Jack let out a groan of agony. Kate was terrified.

"Stop it! What are you doing? Are you crazy?"

"All you have to do is choose Kate, and it will all be over," Ben said in a nonchalant tone as his henchmen raised their bats again; this time Sawyer's man hit his right shin causing him to kneel on the ground. Jack was hit across his chest, and Kate thought she heard the ominous sound of a rib cracking. _No that's just my imagination._ He was on his back, grasping his left side.

"Jack!" Kate yelled, swinging from her tether to face him.

"So, you choose Jack then?" Ben inquired.

"No! Just make it stop, please. You're going to kill them!" Her voice was pleading, but Ben did not call his men to a halt.

Sawyer slumped to the floor, unconscious after his tormentor hit him over the head with his bat. A bloody gash could be seen through his hair.

Kate was crying, unable to hold herself together. Two men that she cared a great deal for were being tortured because of her. She had to do something.

She looked up and over to where Jack was still laying. He was panting and seemed to be in a great deal of pain. His captor had the bat raised above his head with both hands, ready to crush Jack's skull. Now was the time to act.

"I choose Sawyer…" Kate gasped through her sobs.

"Wait," Ben commanded just before Jack's captor unleashed his fury. "What was that my dear?"

"I choose…Sawyer. He gets the special treatment. He needs medical attention," Kate stated, not tearing her eyes away from Jack.

His eyes were glazed over, and she wondered if he was in that much pain, or if was it because of her decision._ Jack can take care of himself. He's a doctor,_ Kate reminded herself. _Sawyer needs someone to take care of him. He could die with those injuries, but Jack knows what to do. Plus Sawyer doesn't think things through like Jack. He acts too rashly. He'll be safer this way. Yes, safer…_

"Interesting choice. I was certain you were going to pick Jack," Ben said. His voice turned almost confidential, which was ludicrous since it was still coming over the intercom. "You know, when he woke up, he was screaming your name. He tried to escape to get to you, and yet, you don't choose him? Very interesting. Marcus, escort Jack out. Kate will be along in a little while," Ben instructed.

Marcus put down his bat and grabbed Jack under the armpits. He forced Jack to stand up. The duo walked across the room, pausing in front of Kate.

"You can say your farewells. You don't know when…or if you will see each other again," Ben called, the deadly implication evident in his voice.

Kate didn't care for Ben's mind games. She had eyes only for Jack. He looked so defeated. He wouldn't meet her searching gaze.

"Jack…Jack please look at me," she pleaded.

"I don't have anything to say to you." His words were harsh and Kate bit her lip as she cast her gaze toward her bare feet.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do. Please, you have to understand…he could have died if I didn't…Jack, I'm sorry."

"Oh, I understand perfectly," Jack replied. "I can see where you stand and who you side with. I was just wasting my time…" He trailed off, and Marcus started to drag him away. Kate was trying to understand what he was saying.

"Jack!" she all but screamed.

Jack's head shot up to meet her watery eyes. They stood there for what seemed like an eternity, the phrase Kate wanted to say on the tip of her tongue. Jack appeared to be waiting for her words; his back was erect and he didn't seem to be breathing.

"Be safe," she said, not able to bring herself to say the words she truly wanted to say.

"Why would you start caring now whether I'm safe or not?" He turned and limped away from her.

"Jack!" Kate's voice was hoarse from her tears. "Jack, please!" But he wouldn't turn around to look at her again.

_I need you,_ she said to herself as fresh tears spilled over her eyes.


	3. Chapter 3: An Outburst

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you are able to recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

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**Author's Note: **The beginning chapters are a little short, but don't worry, they'll get longer. Hope you like the third chapter! Please review.

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_Chapter 3: An Outburst_**  
**

Ben's voice was loud and unwelcome in the silence of the room. "Release them, then leave. Sawyer will be transferred in the morning."

The intercom clicked off as Alex came over to Kate. She unbound her hands from the chain. Kate slumped to the floor, clutching her bleeding wrists.

"I'm sorry about your hands," Alex said as she leaned over her, wiping away her tears. Kate wondered if her concern for her was real. Before she could determine the truth, Alex quickly stood up and left. As soon as the young woman exited through the door, the overhead lights blinked out.

A groan from across the room was the first thing to gain Kate's attention. _Sawyer…how could I have forgotten?_ She rose shakily and stumbled in the darkness over to where he was laying. He was still chained, half-sitting half-laying on the floor, in agony.

"Sawyer," Kate said in a hoarse voice, her hands flitting over Sawyer's body, "Do you think the injuries are serious? Your head is still bleeding."

He didn't answer immediately, but gave her a grunt to signal that he had heard her. "No," he said after a moment. "No, not serious. Just hurts like hell. Head still stings a bit. I think I was out for a minute."

_Good, _she thought. Her feelings toward him had changed since they first crashed on the island. She still cared for him a great deal, but she wanted to be with Jack. With Sawyer she hadn't felt a deep, loving, connection, only lust. Jack evoked complicated emotions from her and she knew that Jack felt the same way. Still, Sawyer would always hold a special place in her heart.

Kate leaned down and kissed his forehead, glad to know that Sawyer was going to be all right. "You could have a concussion and not know it. Someone needs to check you when you get out of here. Is there anything I can do?"

"I think a little kiss would make it all better."

She rolled her eyes at his childish antics. _How can be joke at a time like this? Still, he looks so pitiful…_

She leaned forward and brushed her lips over his. She didn't deepen the kiss; Sawyer's abuser was approaching.

"You call that a kiss?" Sawyer mused as the Other bent down and unlocked the handcuffs that were slowly embedding themselves in his wrists. When he was finished he turned to leave. As if he had a better idea, he whipped around, kicked Sawyer in the gut, and turned to leave.

Enraged was not the word to describe Kate's anger. She leapt up with a tribal scream worthy of the Amazons, and lunged for the man. He turned around in surprise as Kate struck him with an uppercut to his head. His head snapped back while she tried to hit him over and over again like a human punching bag. She knew the only decent shot she had delivered was the headshot since the Other's body was as sturdy as a rock, but she couldn't stop herself.

The Other's head lowered again, a thick stream of red blood flowing from his nose. Kate felt an immediate sense of satisfaction.

It was quickly yanked away when the Other lashed out with his right arm, hitting her in the chest and sending her staggering backward several yards until she landed with enough force to have all the air in her lungs pushed out.

The Other didn't stop there. He marched over to her, pulled a lethal looking taser out of a pocket and tapped it against the sweaty skin of her neck. The contact was brief, but left Kate shaking on the floor, moaning in pain.

Time seemed to stop as she rolled on the ground in agony. Sawyer pulled her into an embrace and rocked her back and forth while he stroked her hair. Kate let herself whimper against his warm chest, but refused to outright cry. _That would only show how weak I am, not to mention give that bastard satisfaction that he got to me. _Her whimpers slowly died away as the feeling returned to her body. Her neck was tender and sore.

Sawyer's lips gently stroked the tender spot. "I never knew you cared, Freckles," he crooned in her ear, his voice a soft caress. Kate smiled weakly at his words.

"I don't know what got into me. I went all psycho chick on him," she laughed shakily.

"Admit it, you've got a thing for me." His voice was still gruff with pain, but that didn't hide the emotion that Kate knew was behind the words.

"If by 'thing' you mean my being protective over the people I care about…yeah I guess you could say I do," Kate said with a grin, deliberately ignoring the bait Sawyer had thrown her way.

He chuckled in response. They fell into an easy silence, eventually falling asleep in each other's arms.


	4. Chapter 4: A Kind One

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you can recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

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**Author's Note: **Now for some new characters! Well at least one. Hope you like chapter 4. Please review. I want to know what you're thinking.

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_Chapter 4: A Kind One_**  
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The following morning, Kate awoke to the sound of a heavy steel door being opened. She moved restlessly in Sawyer's arms, causing him to squeeze her tighter to his chest.

"Stop fussing Freckles. I got one hell of a headache," he mumbled irritably.

Kate pushed against him, trying to sit up. At her continued struggles he opened his eyes. As if waking from a dream, he suddenly seemed to remember where they were and bolted up into a sitting position. As they heard metal scraping on the cement floor a second time, he pushed her behind himself and looked around in the dark.

Heavy booted footsteps were heard crossing the cement floor. Kate's breathing increased as the unknown entity moved closer.

"I won't let the bastards touch you," Sawyer swore, and Kate noticed that he adopted a fighting stance. She hoped he didn't do anything rash.

"Good morning Ms. Austen…Mr. Ford," a voice said.

It was unfamiliar, but it was thickly accented. If she guessed correctly, the accent was German. "It is time to move to your new stations."

He stepped forward, but there was no light in the room. The only way they knew he was in close proximity was from the sound of his breathing. "Please don't make this difficult by not cooperating with me. I have no intention of hurting either of you. Please hold out your hands."

Kate didn't want to follow the man's instructions, but she knew that to try and fight him off while Sawyer was still weak would not turn out well. She didn't want Sawyer getting hurt because he was foolish. She complied and held her wounded wrists out to be handcuffed. She heard Sawyer grunt in displeasure, but he too held out his wrists.

The German Other snapped the handcuffs on with an audible _click_. "Thank you for not making this harder than it has to be." He paused, as if debating something. Kate wished she could have seen his expression. "I am sorry, but I must also insist that you wear a blindfold. You are not permitted to see where you are being taken."

He rushed on before anyone could interrupt him. "Please understand that I am only doing my job. I know you feel that you are being treated like low-life criminals, but really we are not animals. We just need to ensure that _our_ safety is seen to. We can't trust fully you until you have had a final evaluation. But I promise that once you pass the exam that you will be like one of us." Kate heard a rustling as he untangled the head pouches. "Now, if you would please lean forward."

Kate bent forward without any real thought about the action. She was too occupied thinking about what he was rambling about. _Final evaluation? Exam? What is he talking about? Is it some sort of initiation? _

The bag was lightweight, but she began to feel claustrophobic. She knew that she was in a large room, but being blindfolded made her subconsciously think the room was smaller. Her breathing increased as well.

The same procedure was being done to Sawyer. She leaned toward him, brushing her arm against his. He returned the action, but didn't say anything. Kate was close to panicking. She was apprehensive about the transfer. _What will they do with Sawyer?_

"Wait," she interrupted just as the German man began to speak. "What are you going to do with Sawyer? He gets special treatment," she added in a shy voice, knowing she sounded childish.

"And that is exactly what he will get Ms. Austen," he replied.

"Will he receive medical attention? He's hurt…" she explained.

Before the man could utter a response, Sawyer's cold laughter broke in. "Like he'll listen to you Freckles."

The German spoke as if uninterrupted. "If you wish it Ms. Austen, it will be."

_What?_ She thought inwardly. "Yes, I want him to get medical attention," she affirmed. _I don't understand, is my wish their command?_

"Don't worry Ms. Austen. I will personally make sure he is checked over. After all he is receiving _special treatment._" He didn't say the words in a sarcastic way, but in a positive it-will-be-done way, making Kate feel assured.

Still, she was worried about what that "special treatment" might entail…


	5. Chapter 5: A Mean One

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

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**Author's Note: **Not a lot of dialouge in this chapter. Sorry. This chapter introduces another new character, but he's the polar opposite of the German Other. Also, there is some mild language in this section, but nothing too bad!

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_Chapter 5: A Mean One_

"Now, Mr. Ford, you will be coming with me. Ms. Austen, you will be going with Jeremy. Come Mr. Ford. Can you walk unassisted?"

Sawyer's mumbled response was barely audible through the head pouch, but she gathered that he was able to move on his own when the German Other said that if he needed help to ask.

The German almost seemed concerned, confusing Kate. _If he is such a nice man, what is he doing here, working for_ them_? Is he someone important to the Others? Is his sympathy real, or is it just a façade to get us to trust him? And who is Jeremy?_

She got the answer to her last question the next moment, when a rough hand grabbed her left elbow. Instinctively she tried to pull away, but Jeremy squeezed her arm to let her know that he was in control. Jeremy was less considerate.

"Move it," he growled as he half pushed, half dragged her in one direction.

He seemed rushed, and Kate tried to keep pace with him, but her legs weren't up to the challenge. She stumbled several times as Jeremy led her outside, inciting cruel words to come from his mouth.

Kate's mind turned back to Sawyer as she was being led through the jungle. _Maybe after they treat him they'll let Sawyer go back to the other side of the island. Maybe they'll let him rest for a while, _she thought to herself, ignoring her escort._ I just hope that he stays safe._

It hit her all of a sudden; she was all alone. Everyone had been taken away from her and now she was being led away to God knows where. She didn't have Jack, and had no idea when or if she would see him again. And now Sawyer was gone too. She wanted to cry again, but refused to give into the urge.

Her lapse in concentration caused her to trip over a tree root. Instead of trying to steady herself, she continued to fall forward until her body hit the rocky ground--hardly noticed the pain running up the side of her body on impact.

Jeremy was yanked forward since he was holding onto her arm, but he managed to keep his balance; however, he lost his temper.

"What the hell is your problem? Gregory might care if you're tired or hurt, but I don't give a damn what the hell your problem is. Get up!" he shouted.

When she stubbornly disobeyed him and remained on the ground he shouted again. "Stand up you stupid bitch. God dammit, get up!"

When she refused to respond again she was punished with a kick to her lower back.

Kate yelped and twisted on the ground in pain. Hateful tears welled up in her eyes and she inhaled deeply to keep from crying out again. She half-heartedly tried to get on her feet, but her legs wouldn't cooperate.

"I can't," she remarked, masking the mocking tone of her voice by feigning helplessness. She fell forward again, her face hitting the ground this time.

Apparently Jeremy didn't want to hear that. He bent over and grabbed Kate by the sides of her arms. He shook her violently and pushed her back into a nearby tree. The hard bark dug into her back. She gritted her teeth against the feeling of splintered pieces embedding themselves under her skin.

Jeremy removed the head pouch, allowing her to see just how angry he was. His eyes were like icy green fire. The veins in his neck and on his forehead were very prominent, and Kate wondered if one would burst.

The hot-tempered Other clasped a deadly hand around Kate's slender neck and began to squeeze. He was almost double her size and had no problem lifting her off the ground until her feet dangled.

"I am in charge, and you will do as I say when I say it. If you disobey any of my instructions, I will do everything in my power to make your life her a living hell."

"It already is, you bastard," she ground out, clawing at his hands with her worn down nails. It had no effect.

"You're finished bitch," he swore, squeezing harder and cutting off her windpipe.

In just a few seconds her vision started to get blotchy, and everything zoomed in and out of focus. It was the strangest and most frightening experience that had ever happened to her; and that was saying something with her history.

_This is it…I'm going to die.

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**Author's Note:** Hope you liked it! Tell me what you thought by giving me a review! If you liked it, great! Tell me. If you didn't like it, not so great, but still _tell me!_


	6. Chapter 6: A Rescue

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

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**Author's Note: **Here's chapter 6! Who will save Kate? It may not be who you would expect. Read and review please!

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_Chapter 6: A Rescue_

Just as Kate was about to black out, the pressure on her throat ceased. She was dropped to the ground, landing on her side. Coughing repeatedly, she inhaled particles of dirt along with precious air as she rubbed her throat with her hand. She opened her eyes to see Jeremy lying on the ground, clearly unconscious.

Turning her head up she saw a heavily breathing man standing over her, his face and entire body silhouetted by the sun.

"Jack?" Kate asked, breathless.

The man in front of her didn't nod or say anything; he didn't even acknowledge that he had heard her. Instead he bent down and lifted her up. As soon as he set her down on her legs, he took her hand and began to pull her in the direction of the trees.

"Jack, what's going on?" she asked as she tried to keep up with his grueling pace. Her legs still felt weak, but with Jack by her side, she fought desperately to continue forward. "Where are we going? How did you escape?"

She got no response to her questions. Kate was becoming worried. _What's wrong?_

They were sprinting through the jungle, but Kate had lost her sense of direction. Blood trickled down her arms and legs where her bare skin had been cut by twigs and branches. The adrenaline rushing through her body kept her from crying out in pain. Thorny bushes tore at her already tattered dress, leaving the top punctured with holes and the bottom in wispy shreds of fabric. Her heart was beating wildly and she could hardly catch her breath.

They raced through a thicket of trees and a branch that Jack had pushed away with his hand snapped back and hit her cheek. Pain streaked across her face and droplets of blood mingled with sweat as the two liquids moved slowly down her neck. _Why is he running so fast? Is someone chasing us?_

She had never considered the possibility and she tried even harder to keep up with Jack, who would not release his harsh grip on her hand. It was logical for someone to be following them; they had escaped captivity. Although, she thought that it was odd that he would not turn and face her, or even talk to her and tell her what was going on. _He's probably just thinking about what to do next, _she rationalized.

They continued to run for another ten minutes in silence, the only sounds coming from their surroundings and their heavy breathing.

Kate was past exhaustion. "Jack, please, can we stop running for just a moment? I can hardly breathe," she pleaded.

Again, the man holding her hand tightly, almost like a vice, ignored her. He didn't slow his pace either. _This is getting out of hand,_ she thought. _If someone were chasing us, I would have heard them by now. No one is following us; so why is he running like a madman?_

Kate decided that she needed to find out what was going on…now. She stopped running altogether. Jack kept up his pace, forcing her to follow along. He didn't say anything to her. _This is getting strange._

She tried another strategy. At the next large tree she stopped again, this time grabbing a branch with her one free hand. She held on to the sad excuse for a branch with all of her remaining strength, but Jack continued to run.

Because she still had the handcuffs on, her wrists started to bleed as Jack yanked on her hand. Kate's groan turned into a roaring scream, but she refused to let go of the branch.

"Jack, what is wrong with you? You're hurting me!" she screamed.

Finally, the maniac let go of her hand. Kate fell backwards. Her body froze and her pulse skyrocketed as she saw her rescuer's face fully for the first time. He sneered at her frightened reaction.

"Who are you?" she gasped.

"For starters, I'm not Jack."


	7. Chapter 7: A Test Subject

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you can recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original (except the rock excavation thing. I took that from the show).

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**Author's Note:** More hints about what the Others are going to do with Kate. Also, I added a section at the end about Sawyer, just so you can see what he's up to. Hope you like it. Reviews! I love them!

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_Chapter 7: A Test Subject_

Kate couldn't respond at all. She couldn't scream, couldn't talk, couldn't breathe. She could only stare in utter disbelief. _How could I have been so _stupid? _How could I have not known that it wasn't Jack? I was right behind him for twenty minutes. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He does look a lot like him though…_

But the man in front of her was definitely not Jack. Kate tried to scoot backwards, but she bumped into a tree after moving a few feet. The mysterious kidnapper loomed over her, casting a shadow over her prone form. He snickered at her attempts to get her feet underneath her.

"What? Were you truly expecting to be rescued? Sorry but we have other plans for you." He started to move toward her with deadly intent in his eyes. Kate was momentarily frozen with terror.

In a last ditch effort to escape, she turned on to her knees, stood up and tried to sprint away. As she was gaining speed she heard the man behind her say, "I love it when they play hard to get, but I don't have time for this."

Kate almost fell again in her haste to get away. More scraps and cuts appeared on her arms and legs as she broke through trees and bushes. She was close to hyperventilating. _What am I gonna do? I can't get away. He's too fast. _Still she had to try, and that is exactly what she did.

Until her head was nearly yanked off her body when the man following her grasped a handful of hair. Her head snapped back as her body continued to jet forward, causing her to land on her back with a thud. Just as she was recovering from the first surprise attack, the Other twisted her long auburn hair around his hand and began to drag her behind him.

Kate let out a bellow as she clutched her hands to the top of her head, trying hopelessly to lessen the pain. She could hear the man above her chuckling to himself. He wouldn't let up on his grip, and he continued to drag her like an animal carcass through the jungle. Kate could feel the rocks along the jungle floor dig into her back. The torturous sensation combined with her previous injured was too much to take. Her scream was a mixture of exquisite pain and unsurpassable hatred.

With all the pain and being on the verge of hysteria, Kate thought she was going to black out. It felt like her scalp was being ripped from her head, and she was crying so hard that she was almost in convulsions. _No, only lucky people pass out. I guess I don't qualify as being lucky, _she thought bitterly to herself, letting out another deafening roar that sent the local birds flapping from their perches in the trees.

It seemed like the slow torture would last for an eternity, but after only ten minutes, Kate noticed that the ground beneath her changed. It wasn't a mixture of smooth dirt and rocky terrain, but a solid, even ground. It was scraping the backs of her legs, making her realize that the seemingly foreign turf was cement. _Where are we?_

"We're here," the evil man above her stated in a light-hearted, mocking tone. After hauling her through a steel door he finally released her screaming hair. Her head hit the floor, but Kate couldn't feel any pain from that contact since her head was still tingling from the abuse it had undergone.

"Where exactly is here?" she asked, thinking that her question would be ignored.

Surprisingly, he told her. "We're at a medical station. Hope you like it, because you're going to be here for a long time." He smirked down at her.

"What do you mean?" Kate didn't mean to ask the question aloud, but she couldn't stop herself.

"Ah, Kate," he sighed as if she were a five-year-old child. "Don't you get it yet? You are a key part in our new…experiment"

"I don't suppose you would be allowed to tell me what part that would be?" she inquired. She had a terrible headache and she couldn't completely comprehend what he was telling her. She needed him to come out and state it blatantly.

"Well, I guess it's only fair to tell you. You would find out soon anyway." He leaned forward, as if to create a more confidential setting. "You, my dear, are our new test subject. A guinea pig, if you will."

Kate later decided that some unseen power took pity on her at that moment because she finally passed out in a state of total oblivion.

* * *

"This will be your room Mr. Ford. I hope that you find the accommodations adequate," Gregory said as he removed the blindfold from Sawyer's head.

The room wasn't much. It had a cot and a nightstand in one corner, a wicker chair and a small table in another, and a toilet and a sink in a third. The last corner was empty except for cobwebs. Sawyer was reminded of the cell he had lived in while in prison. This was an upgrade from that cell.

"It ain't exactly the Taj Mahal," he started, "But I think I'll manage to get by." He hobbled over to the cot and sat down, wanting to get his weight off of his right leg. It was still sore from when Ben's henchman had hit him the previous day.

"How are you feeling?" the German man inquired.

"What's it to you?" Sawyer said as he removed his shirt and examined the bruise that was on his stomach, another gift from Ben's friend.

"I promised Ms. Austen that you would receive medical treatment, and I mean to keep my word. The promises I make are not made lightly. I never go back on my word," he assured.

Sawyer didn't say anything in response to Gregory's comment. He had a horrible headache and wanted nothing more than to take some aspirin and go to sleep. _I wonder if they even_ have _aspirin on this island,_ he thought.

As if to answer his question, Alex entered the room carrying a tray. On it was a tall glass of water and an assortment of colorful pills.

"I thought you might need to take something for the pain," she said in explanation. Sawyer caught the young girl blushing at his bare chest and grinned. She saw him smiling and quickly left the room, keeping her eyes on her toes.

He looked at the different pills that he had been offered. He took two that looked like Advil and two that looked like ibuprofen and swallowed them with water.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Gregory asked.

"I'll be fine. I've suffered worse injuries without having medical attention."

"Okay. Then the only thing that we will worry about is if you have a concussion or not. I will take you for a cat scan shortly, but I have to report to Ben first. You'll be okay until I get back?"

"I told you, I'll be fine."

"Alright then. Oh, before I leave, I think I should inform you…" he said but trailed off.

"You gonna keep me waiting all day, or are you gonna tell me what it is you want to say?"

He received a cross look from the other man, but he said, "Assuming that everything checks out medically, I just wanted to prepare you for what you will be doing here."

"Well?" Sawyer said when he didn't continue.

"I'm sorry for my delay, it's just that I don't agree with what Ben wants you to do. It's nothing horrible, just a lot of work."

"I'm not afraid to work."

"Good, because you'll be working at a rock excavation site. Basically all you have to do is load rocks in a wheelbarrow and transfer them from one place to another, but it's back breaking work."

"I don't care what they have me do, just as long as I don't have to sit here and twiddle my thumbs."

"I'll keep that in mind," Gregory said as he left the room.

After he left, Sawyer plopped down on the bed and was went to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8: A Special Person

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you might recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

* * *

_Chapter 8: A Special Person_

When Kate woke up she was in a bright room that reminded her of an asylum. The only difference was that one wall was not a wall, but a giant window, allowing her to see into the adjacent cell. It was identical to hers.

The floor was a cold, smooth surface made of colorless linoleum, and the three bare walls were painted a vibrant white. Fluorescent Halogen light bulbs hung from the ceiling, making the room positively gleam. The furniture in the enclosure consisted of a bunk complete with cotton-colored sheet, but no pillow. There was also a stainless steel toilet. That one shiny silver fixture looked extremely out of place in Kate's opinion.

For the first time Kate realized that she was no longer wearing the torn and battered floral-print dress. She was now wearing a pale blue hospital gown that reached just above her knees. She also noticed that her undergarments were missing. _What kind of sick people live here? _she thought, feeling extremely violated.

On a positive note, her injuries had been tended to. Although she could see blossoming bruises, flesh colored band-aids covered the cuts on her arms and legs. Her back ached and it pained her to breathe deeply. Touching a hand to her face she felt a large strip of gauze covering the gash on her cheek. Working her jaw in different directions, she discovered it hurt to move her it at all. Luckily, none of her injuries needed stitches.

As Kate was taking her self-inventory, a door she didn't know existed opened up. It was seamless and seemed to melt into the wall on the opposite side of the cell. The figure she saw in the doorway was not a welcome one.

"Glad to see you're awake."

Ben stepped inside, the door closing behind him. He continued to talk as he walked forward. Kate stood absolutely still. "I must apologize for Bert's horrendous treatment of you. You were not to be harmed in the transfer, even if you tried to escape. His actions were inexcusable."

"You can say that again," Kate muttered, folding her arms across her chest.

Ben seemed a bit impatient when he said, "I can assure you, Bert has been severely punished for his actions. We punish anyone and everyone who do not follow through with what they are told to do--in one way or another. You're a very precious element to us, Kate, and we don't want anything or anyone damaging you."

_What is he talking about? _she asked herself. _How was Bert severely punished? Was he killed? No they wouldn't do that. And why is he referring to me like I am some priceless jewel? _She didn't say any of her thoughts out loud, but shifted her weight from her left foot to her right.

"So what happens next?" she asked cautiously, anxiety building in her chest.

"Time will tell, Kate. Time will tell. You will learn your purpose of being here soon enough."

"What happened to Sawyer? And Jack? What did you do to them?"

"Oh, how I hate undeserved accusations," he responded coldly. "Again, the answers to all of your questions will come soon enough." He started to walk backwards toward the door, never turning his back to her.

As he was about to leave, he added, "Until then, is there anything I can do to make your time here more comfortable? Anything you need? I'm sorry the accommodations are so meager, but it's the best we have for you at the moment."

Kate almost didn't acknowledge him, and then, thinking she had nothing to lose, said, "Some clean clothes would be nice. And a pillow if you could spare one." The words were laced with dry sarcasm.

"Consider it done," Ben responded with a nod. "It might take a little time to put together the proper attire, but rest assured, you will have all you desire. Like I said, Kate, you are an extremely precious person to us."

Almost as an afterthought he added, "Speaking of special people. I think you should see someone else who is valuable to us. In fact, I would have to say this person is almost as important as you are." Leaving her opened mouthed in shock, he quit the room.

As the mysterious door melted into the wall, vanishing as if it never existed, the door in the adjacent cell slid open.

Tom and another Other entered the room. This villain looked like a body builder with a dangerous disposition. Then she remembered where she had seen him. He was the man that she had struck with a killer uppercut. He looked even more menacing in the bright lights of the cell. Kate didn't want to think about the odds of anyone winning a fight against him; she knew he was basically invincible.

They carried the seemingly unconscious body of a man inside, laying him on the uncomfortable cot. He was on his side, his face turned from her. As the Others exited the chamber, the figure groaned and began to roll over.

Kate didn't need to see his face to know who he was though. She knew the instant she saw him. She fell to her knees, tears of relief and hope beginning to stream down her battered face.


	9. Chapter 9: A Fellow Inmate

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Yay! He's back! You'll see who I'm referring too soon. Hope you're as excited as I am! Please R&R.

* * *

_Chapter 9: A Fellow Inmate_

_He's alive. Thank God he's alive, _Kate said to herself as she wiped at the tears falling from her eyes. She crawled over to the glass wall and leaned her head against it. _I can't believe it. I never thought I'd see him again._

The figure lying on the cot stirred again, eliciting another groan of pain. He surveyed his surroundings, much like she had done. His eyes widened seeing her there.

"Kate…" he said weakly. Kate could barely hear what he said through the clear barrier she was leaning on.

"Jack…" Kate responded, trying to look up at him for more than an instant and failing.

He crawled off the cot and over to where she was sitting. He put his hand against the glass and leaned his forehead on the cool surface.

_He's clearly in pain._ His face was covered in cuts and he had a black eye, causing his eye to swell shut. Blood was still dripping from his nose and he had a split lip. Those injuries were only on his face. His chest had burn marks from where a taser had zapped him. There were too many to count in one glance. Numerous bruises had already started to appear on his arms and chest. Kate didn't want to think about how the ghastly wounds accumulated.

"You look like hell…" she tried to joke. When that didn't work, she turned serious. "Okay, on a scale of one to ten--one being a splinter and ten being electrocuted--how intense is the pain?"

"Four."

"You're lying."

He sighed, "Seven."

"Oh, Jack…" She whispered as she matched her hand to his on the glass.

"I'll get better," he assured her.

Kate didn't know whether he was trying to make light of his situation or if he was trying to hide the gruesome truth.

"What happened to you? Are you okay? Where are all those cuts from? Were they cleaned properly?" he hastily asked, visually checking her over.

_Always concerned about everybody but himself,_ Kate thought as she rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. Just got a few scrapes and bruises running through the jungle…." A pause followed her statement as she debated whether or not to interrogate Jack. Her curiosity won out. "Jack, what did they do to you? Where did they take you last night?"

Jack didn't answer right away. He sat next to her, breathing deeply. He stared at her face for a moment then dropped his head low. Kate could tell he didn't want to answer her questions. She felt guilty for even asking. _How could I be so inconsiderate of his feelings? He's obviously been through a lot. _

He cleared his throat and looked up to meet her gaze again. His eyes expressed to her that this retelling was more difficult than reminiscing over a fond childhood memory.

"They took me to some room about a mile away. I don't really know what the building was like; I had a sack over my head. But, they led me to this room and forced me to sit in a chair. It reminded me of one of those police interrogation rooms from the movies, you know?"

She nodded and gave him silent encouragement to keep going.

"I was in the room with Ben and this other guy he referred to as Cane. He was the other guy that brought me in here. I was handcuffed to the chair. Ben said he had a proposition for me. I can't say what it was exactly…but let's just say that it came down to me helping him or my refusal to. Of course I refused."

Kate longed to interrupt. She wanted to ask what the proposition had been, but she knew that Jack had omitted that aspect for a reason. _Maybe I don't want to know what it was. _

"Ben asked me to reconsider, but I stood by my decision. I just couldn't do what they asked me to do. Cane physically showed his displeasure with my choice." Jack gave a grin as he pointed to his face. Kate didn't think it was funny…not at all. "He gave me an especially good knock to the head and I passed out." He gestured to the cell, "And here I am."

Kate started to feel guilty as Jack told his story. "I'm so sorry Jack," she whispered. She hugged her knees and hid her face. _This is all my fault. If I hadn't chosen Sawyer none of this would have happened. Jack wouldn't be hurt. _

"Hey, it's not your fault," Jack said as if he was reading her mind. He rose to a crouching position on the floor beside the pane of glass. "Kate, don't blame yourself."

"But I _am_ to blame," she cried. "If I hadn't chosen him none of this would have happened. We wouldn't be here."

"You don't know that. It wouldn't have mattered who you picked. If you had picked differently, Sawyer would be in the same position I am right now. You couldn't have stopped this Kate. Please, don't blame yourself. You do enough of that already."

Her head snapped up. "What are you trying to say?" His words made her forget her guilt and become angry.

"Kate, I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry."

Uncurling herself, Kate crawled backwards using the palms of her hands. She didn't know whether to feel disgusted or depressed. She settled for a little of both. "I thought you were different Jack."

"Come on Kate. I didn't mean to accuse you of anything. It's just that you always take it so hard when something bad happens."

"I do not," she denied.

He continued as if she hadn't spoken. "Life isn't perfect Kate. Human beings aren't perfect. I'm not perfect, and neither are you. We can't blame ourselves for every little mistake that we make."

She didn't want to listen to his lecture at the moment. "Just leave me alone." Turning her back to him she laid down on her thin and uncomfortable cot.

"Dammit Kate, don't run from me."

Kate flipped around and gave him a stony glare. "What did you say?"

Jack ran his hands over his head in frustration. "You know what I said. You run from everything. Whenever a situation gets sticky, you run as fast as you can in the opposite direction. You never take a stand."

"That's not true!' she yelled.

"The hell it isn't!" He matched her volume.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Look. Even now you're getting defensive. You don't want to admit that what I'm saying is true!"

Kate was hit with a case of speechlessness. _He's right, _she said to herself. She was acting like a cornered cat because he had her figured out.

"Tell me I'm wrong Kate."

She knew she had lost the argument, but she wanted the final word. "You don't know anything about me," she snapped back, more forcefully than she had intended.

"I can read you like a book," he retorted.

"Oh yeah?" she scoffed.

"You're self conscious because you didn't have your parent's support when you were a kid. No one taught you to roller blade or ride a bike; you taught yourself. You were quiet in school, but you started hanging with the wrong crowd. You went through a slew of boyfriends, and most likely they were all bad to you in some way. That's why you have intimacy issues. You don't talk to your mother. You never had any girl friends…"

"Stop!" she screamed. Even though he wasn't completely right, some of his points hit too close to home. "Just stop Jack. Please," she said in a softer voice.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. He covered his face with his hands and shook his head from side to side. "I didn't want to upset you. Just forget about it. We have a lot ahead of us, and if we don't stay with each other, things could get ugly. So, can we call it a truce or something and act like this never happened?"

Kate knew that it would be impossible to act like the argument had never occurred, but she nodded in agreement. _Again, he's right. We need to stick together to get through whatever the Others have in store for us the next couple of weeks. _

"Good," Jack said, smiling. "Well, we'd better get some sleep. I know I could use some." He hobbled over to his cot.

"Yeah, so could I," she admitted, climbing back onto her cot as well. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Kate."


	10. Chapter 10: A Temptation

**Disclaimer: **Alas, I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original. (The following scene may seem slightly familiar, because a similar situation was seen on the show. However, I wrote this scene before the episode aired. It's up to you whether you believe me or not, but I'm telling the truth.)

* * *

**Author's Note: **Just a cute scene between Jack and Kate. The next chapter is going to be pretty heavy, so I thought it would be good to have a more light-toned chapter now. (It might get a little cheesy, but I love cheesy scenes! I can't help it.) Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 10: A Temptation_

The following morning Kate woke up feeling somewhat better. Her entire body felt like a huge bruise, but as she stretched out the soreness subsided a little. She had thought about everything Jack had said and knew that he was right about almost everything. She wanted to tell him about her past, but she didn't know if she could open up that much yet. Jack, she noticed, was watching her.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," was his response.

_Okay Kate, you can do this._ "Jack, about last night. You were right about a lot of things…"

"Kate, you don't have to bring that up. Let's just put it behind us."

She shook her head. "No," she said firmly. "I need to get this off my chest." He didn't argue any further.

"You were right. I do run away from my problems. I've been running all my life really. I'm ashamed of my past and my family. I tried so hard not to be like them, especially my father, Wayne."

"I'm sure you're nothing like him," Jack offered.

She laughed bitterly. "You're right. I'm worse."

"How?"

"For starters, I killed him."

"Wayne?"

"Yes."

Jack didn't have anything to say about that, and Kate couldn't manage to look at the disgust she was sure was in his eyes.

"I'm not proud of who I am Jack. I've done a lot of horrible things. I really am a terrible person," her voice shook with emotion.

"No you're not."

The conviction in his voice made her glance up. He was shaking his head at her.

"You're not a terrible person. Whatever happened in your past doesn't matter anymore. The only thing that matters is who you are right now. And I think you're a good person Kate."

"I'm glad you think so, but I don't see it. I'll always remember the horrible things I've done."

"Certainly they were justified?"

"Justified or not, it doesn't make a difference. They were horrendous actions. I caused everyone I ever loved a great deal of pain."

"There you go blaming yourself again," he sighed.

"I _do _blame myself for a lot. Sometimes for good reasons, but other times I don't have a reason." She paused then decided to turn the conversation back to the previous night's discussion. "But, you're right. I couldn't do anything about the predicament that we're in right now. I didn't cause the plane crash, and I didn't come willingly to the Others. It's no one's fault. It was just meant to happen I guess. But you know what…I'm glad you're here with me."

She smiled at him, and he grinned back. "I'm glad to hear that."

Kate sat up and stretched, reaching her hands high over her head. Jack sat up too.

"Looks like you have a delivery," he remarked, nodding at the floor.

Kate noticed the bundle on the floor for the first time. She smiled as she unfolded a small Red Sox t-shirt and a pair of gently used jeans. Clean underwear was also provided. Underneath the clothes was the pillow she had requested.

"I can't believe this. They actually gave me what I asked for. Why would they do that?" she asked as she rubbed the clean, starched fabric of the jeans between her fingers.

"Maybe they want you to be happy so you will agree with whatever it is they want from you."

"Hmm…maybe. But I can't say I'm really complaining."

She jumped up and began to untie the hospital gown strings at the back of her neck. When she realized Jack was staring at her with a huge grin, she turned crimson and stopped what she was doing.

"A gentleman would turn around," she stated, implying what he should do.

"Yes, I suppose a _gentleman_ would do something like that," Jack mused, remaining motionless. "On the other hand, it's a lady that should be modest and turn her back."

Kate hummed her amusement. "Yes, a _lady_ should be modest," she said emphasizing the word. Jack's grin widened at her statement. "I have a resolution. We'll both turn around. Deal?"

He took his time thinking it over, but he eventually conceded. He turned around first and Kate followed suit.

She quickly stripped off the gown, and pulled on the provided panties. As she was reaching for the bra, she felt Jack's gaze on her back. She coyly looked over her shoulder, clearing her throat as she did so.

His gaze shifted from were it had been fixated on her lower back. _He doesn't even have the decency to look ashamed, the knave. _Jack smiled at her before turning his head back to the wall.

"I never said I was a saint."

Kate smiled at his comment and quickly finished dressing. The jeans fit well, but the shirt was a bit snug. She didn't mind. She was happy to feel refreshed and clean. She turned around gaily, and asked, "So how do I look?"

"I think you look positively ravishing Kate. Simply to _die_ for."

Her happy expression turned to a fearful one as Ben commented on her new attire, a vengeful looking Jeremy holding Jack at taserpoint.


	11. Chapter 11: A Proposal

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recgonize. No copyright infringment is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I just wanted to say Thanks! to everyone who has read my story and reviewed! I really appreciate it! You'll finally see what the Others are up to! And another glimpse at what is happening to Sawyer. Hope you like it. I am going to try to upload the next 10-12 chapters tonight.

* * *

_  
Chapter 11: A Proposal_**  
**

_Jack! _Kate screamed in her mind as she shifted back and forth on the balls of her feet, dancing in nervousness. _Please don't kill him…_

"You look surprised Kate. I'm sorry if I've upset you," Ben said in a false voice. He moved closer to the glass, his hands clasped in front of him. He seemed to be expecting something.

Her attempt to keep her apprehension out of her voice was a failure as she asked, "What's going on? Why are you doing this?"

She felt helpless. She was in a cell, unable to help Jack in any way. She didn't particularly like being at the mercy of other people. Especially _these_ people. _I've been feeling that a lot lately,_ she reflected.

Ben smiled at her like a proud schoolteacher. "I was wondering when you were going to work up the courage to ask that. I have a very important proposal," he paused to look back at Jack, then returned his gaze to Kate, "for both of you." Without elaborating, he said, "I should tell you that Jack has vehemently denied this request, but I feel that he will change his mind shortly." He gave Jack another glare.

"The hell I will!" Jack yelled at Ben. Jeremy saw fit to punish Jack for his verbal outburst by shocking him with the taser. It was only a low level shock, but Jack dropped to his hands and knees, shaking.

"Don't hurt him!" Kate screamed, stepping forward and placing her hands on the glass, willing her body to defy physics and pass through. Her super human powers didn't agree with her. "No!" she cried as Jeremy kicked Jack in the abdomen, throwing him to the floor in pain.

"Enough," Ben stated. Jeremy backed off, albeit reluctantly. He snickered at Kate. She glared at him through her eyelashes, still focusing on Jack.

"I'm waiting Kate," Ben said impatiently.

She didn't have to ask what he was waiting for. "What do you want me to do?" She wiped away the few tears that had escaped, going into complete business mode.

Standing up she looked Ben dead in the eyes. "Whatever it is, I'll do it. Just don't hurt him anymore."

"No, don't do it Kate," Jack warned. "Don't do it for me. I'm not worth it." Jeremy kicked him again, this time in the back.

"I said enough!" Ben reprimanded. "Do it again, and there will be consequences."

"Yes sir," Jeremy muttered, distancing himself from the temptation of hitting Jack, should the opportunity present itself again.

Jack crawled away from him as well. He tried to get closer to Kate, but Ben stepped in front of him.

"So, you agree to whatever it is we want you to do for us? Even though you have no idea what it is?" Ben asked for clarification. She nodded. "What if I wanted you to go jump off a cliff or act as a human sacrifice?"

"You wouldn't have kept me alive this long to kill me now. You need me for something," she stated, not intimidated by Ben's comments.

He chuckled. "You are a clever one. I meant no offense to your intelligence. You're right, we do need something from you."

"Care to elaborate?" Kate asked in a haughty tone.

"Let's just say we need…part of you to complete a very…delicate experiment. You will play a vital role. I swear that no harm will come to you. You could say it is a very _natural_ experiment." He sneered again. "Sorry, but that's all the information I can give you right now. You'll receive more details at a later time. So, have we got a deal?"

"Kate, don't do it. Trust me," Jack mumbled, still lying on the floor. "You don't know what you are getting into."

"Hush," Ben hissed at Jack, at the same time signaling Jeremy to do his job. Jeremy gladly stepped forward, grabbing the back of Jack's shirt and punching him in the face a few times.

"Trust _me_," Ben cooed. "If you don't agree, Jack will not be treated kindly. We won't need him if we don't have you, if you get what I'm trying to say. So, now that we have no more third party objections, have we got a deal?"

_What could he possibly want from me?_ Kate wondered._ I don't _have_ anything to offer. Maybe DNA? What else could it be? A natural, delicate experiment…it _has_ to deal with DNA. They must be trying to clone a person or something ridiculous like that. That would explain the secret island thing. Besides, if I don't do it, they won't only beat Jack up, they'll probably kill him. I don't really have a choice_, she sighed.

"I don't have all day my dear," Ben said irritably.

"Yes. I'll do it."

"Wonderful." Ben turned around to face Jack. "She wasn't too hard to convince. So, Jack, have you changed _your_ mind yet?"

"No. And I never will," Jack exclaimed, breathing heavily in frustration.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

As if a silent cue had been given, tiny sprinklers popped out of the walls in Kate's cell and began to emit a clear gas. She looked around herself in bewilderment. _This gets more and more like some strange science fiction show…wait…what's that smell?_

"What are you doing to her?" Jack yelled, bending around Ben to look at Kate, but the Other stepped in his view.

"That's not important. What _is_ important, is that you agree to help us. Without you, we don't need her. We have no one else qualified to oversee this."

"You wouldn't kill Kate. You need her. I don't care what you say, I won't believe that you would harm her."

"I'm glad you're so confident, Jack, but you put your faith in the wrong belief. Isn't what we are asking of you worth saving her life? Would you really risk her health just to undermine us?"

"I would never do anything to hurt her!"

"If you don't agree, right now, you'll be killing her," Ben stated, stepping aside.

Kate had slumped to the floor. She tried desperately to keep her eyelids open.

"I can't breathe," she tried to say, but couldn't make her vocal cords work. To convey her message, she placed both hands around her throat in the universal choking sign.

Jack got the message. His face turned extremely pale as she watched him. He looked like he was going to pass out. She couldn't hear anything anymore, but she saw Jack nod his head quickly, screaming something at Ben at the same time. Kate tumbled over, half curled in the fetal position, one arm reaching above her head. She felt sleepy.

* * *

Suddenly, Kate was taking deep breaths from an oxygen mask.

"She's coming to," a pretty blonde woman said above her, apparently talking to the wall. "You're going to be okay. Here, hold on to this," she instructed as she placed Kate's hand on top of the mask, showing her how to hold it in place. Kate nodded.

The woman laid the connected tank on the floor beside her then turned to leave. "The air supply in your room is being replenished. Keep the mask on for another twenty minutes, or else you could get lung poisoning. Short exposure to the chemical gas won't do any harm, but if exposed for a length of time, your lungs will be scarred. Understood?"

Kate nodded again as the woman left. She turned her attention to Jack who was sitting on his cot, his head in his hands. His eyes were bloodshot and watery, as if he had been crying. _Why would Jack cry?_

"What's the matter?" she said through the mask.

He didn't answer for a minute. His voice was gruff with emotion when he spoke. "I almost let you die Kate. You almost died because I was being stubborn. I almost…I almost…"

"But you didn't," Kate observed, feeling his pain. "You had good reason to deny whatever it was they wanted from you."

"Us."

"Us? What are you talking about Jack?" Kate inquired.

"_Us._ They didn't want something from you alone, and they didn't want something special I could give them. They needed both of us to agree to it, and that's exactly what we did."

"Agree to what?" Kate asked, aggravated that she still didn't have that simple answer.

"We just agreed to have a baby."

* * *

_There has to be some way to slip into the jungle unnoticed. If I could just get a few minutes head start, they'd never catch me,_ Sawyer thought as he dumped another load of rocks into a growing pile.

He paused in his work to wipe the sweat from his forehead and look up at the sky. It was an unusually hot day. After over two months on the island, Sawyer thought he had grown accustom to the sweltering temperatures. _Guess I was wrong._

"Boar on the site! Roundup crew, prepare for relocation," someone yelled as Sawyer returned to the other side of the dig-site. Like dutiful dogs, the Others responded when they were called.

Then Sawyer realized that no one was watching him. Without a second thought he took off into the jungle, sidestepping bushes and pushing branches out of his way. _This is it! I'm getting out of here._

Well, he would have, if someone hadn't shouted, "He's on the run!" ten seconds after he fled into the trees. Apparently someone had been watching him. Still, Sawyer continued to run forward, hoping that he would be lucky and get away.

He didn't run more than twenty yards when he was tackled to the ground.

The impact hurt like hell, but he ignored it and focused on punching the person sitting on top of him. He got in a few good throws, one that made the Other squeal in pain as blood began to pour from his nose. It was Jeremy that had tackled him, and even though Sawyer had landed a few good punches, he was still losing to the man on top of him.

Soon Bert joined Jeremy. Bert had a taser. He also wasn't afraid to use it, and pressed it against Sawyer's shoulder. That's when the fight turned into a punishment.

Before, Sawyer had been able to fight back. Before, it was a fair fight. Before, he had had a chance of winning. Now the tables had turned in favor of the Others. Now they were playing dirty. Now they pummeled him just for the hell of it.

After they were satisfied with Sawyer's bloodied face, they dragged him back to his room and threw him on the floor unceremoniously.

Before leaving, Bert said, "If you ever pull anything like that again, we'll kill you. You aren't worth the trouble."

Sawyer's laughter followed them out the door. He couldn't stop himself from chuckling. He pulled the sheet off his cot and began to wipe his face. When he was finished, there was a bright red stain on the sheet as big as his head. And still he laughed.

He was in a good mood until Gregory entered his cell.

"Good God! I was hoping that those imbeciles were just boasting. I hadn't expected you to be this roughed up."

"Well believe it," Sawyer replied. He let the German Other look over his superficial wounds and treat his wounds.

"Why would you risk your neck doing something like that?"

"Seemed like a good idea at the time," the injured man answered.

"There are other ways of escaping this island."

"I'm sure there are, but unless you're going to tell me what those ways are, I'm just going to have to continue with the guess and check theory."

The conservative man stopped his ministrations for a moment. "Once, every three months, a boat comes," he began.

For the next half and hour Sawyer listened as the older man explained how to get off the island. Then they planned their escape together.


	12. Chapter 12: A Sponge Bath

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you can recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

* * *

**Author's Note: **This chapter is dedicated completely to Sawyer. Please review!

* * *

_Chapter 12: A Sponge Bath_

A light knocking on the cell door made Sawyer glance up from his newest book: Dante's _Inferno._

_Funny,_ he thought, _no one ever knocks when they want to talk to me. They just walk right in. Doesn't matter if I'm sleeping or taking a shit. They don't give a damn about a man's privacy around here._

Still, he decided to humor whoever was knocking from the other side of the door. "You can come in."

The door slid open slowly, revealing the shy brunette that had blushed when she had seen him without a shirt: Alex. He wasn't wearing a shirt now either, but she seemed determined not to chicken out and leave. But her eyes were firmly fixed on the ground.

She was carrying a bucket of steaming water with both hands while struggling to keep the soap and sponge pinned to her sides with her arms. Sawyer's gentlemanly instincts took over and he limped over to help her with the heavy load.

"Thanks," she said when he put the bucket down next to the bed. An awkward silence followed.

"Ah…" he began, rubbing the back of his neck and scowling from the pain that ran along his arms. "What's all this for?"

She didn't look him in the eye when he answered. "It's for a sponge bath. Isn't that obvious?"

That fact had, indeed, been obvious. He gave the timid girl an encouraging smile. "Well, thanks for going to all the trouble to bring me this stuff, but I don't think I'll be using it any time soon."

"Why not?" she questioned, looking up at him for the first time.

He held up his arms to show that he couldn't move them in any direction without grimacing in pain. He would rather be dirty and his wounds get infected than have to forcibly bend his arms and suffer unnecessary pain to clean himself.

"Oh," she whispered. "Excuse me for just a moment." And she stepped outside, leaving Sawyer to ponder her curious attitude.

He didn't have long to think about it though, because she returned shortly after she left. When the door closed behind her, she visibly jumped. She was acting like a little bunny: all jumpy and jittery. _I hate jumpy women,_ he said to himself.

Before he could ask what was bothering her, she blurted out, "I've been ordered to give you a sponge bath since you can't complete the task by yourself."

"I see," Sawyer drawled, his grin spreading. Alex caught him smiling at her and blushed. Biting her lower lip, she dropped her head again. It was plain as day that she was uncomfortable. _It's like she's wearing a big sign that says, "I don't want to be here!" _

"I don't bite, Sweetheart," Sawyer said, attempting to comfort her. It didn't seem possible, but her blushed deepened.

Sawyer figured it would be better to just get the bath over with. The sooner it was over, the sooner he could be rid of the frightened woman.

He sat down on the bed and removed his shoes and socks. Alex walked over and started to soap up the sponge. Sawyer saw her hand shaking as she dipped the sponge into the water. She dropped it on the floor when he removed his pants.

He decided to be considerate and not embarrass her further; he kept his boxers on.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice quivering. She cleared her throat before speaking again. "I'm not usually a shy person. I mean...I've seen half naked people before. I've seen completely naked people before for God's sake. It's just that…"

"It's just that what?" he inquired when she stopped rambling mid-thought. _Why do women always lose their thoughts around me?_

She dipped the sponge in the water again, rinsed out the suds, and wiped any remaining residue from his back. "You intimidate me," she confessed.

He almost didn't stop himself from laughing in time. Thankfully, he was able to cover up by sucking in air as Alex dabbed the hot sponge over his cool skin. "I intimidate you? Ya don't say." His tone was meant to be joking, but Alex missed the memo.

"I am," she said in a very serious tone.

"Why?"

"You're fearless."

He took her comment for praise, but didn't let on that he did. "Fearless? How would you put me in that category?"

"You've got to be kidding me," she said as if she were flabbergasted that he even needed to ask that question. "You tried to escape, even though you knew the chances of success were slim to none."

"Yeah. And?"

"And then you tried to fight Jeremy, who, let's face it, is twice your size and his sole job is to keep people in line. You didn't stop fighting until Bert zapped you with the taser."

Sawyer couldn't help but notice the awe in her voice. _Or maybe she thinks I'm nuts._

"And that makes me fearless?" he asked.

She nodded, then shrugged her shoulders. "Or maybe it shows that you're stupid."

"Maybe," he allowed with a chuckle. He noticed that as they talked Alex's hand had stopped shaking.

"I have to thank you for the bath," he said. "But honestly I wouldn't have cared being dirty for a while longer."

She made him turn around so she could wash his chest. She blushed again—_God that's getting annoying_—but she managed to look him in the eye when she spoke.

"It's not the fact of whether you're dirty or not. Gregory and Ben don't want your wounds to get infected. They want you to heal as quickly as possible."

"Why? They in a hurry to do something else to me? I know they aren't stupid enough to put me back on that rock site."

"No, you won't be back there. I'm not sure what they're planning. Nothing important I'm sure."

The easy conversation stopped but Alex continued to wipe at the cuts and bruises on his arms and chest. Her strokes were gentle, and the texture of the sponge felt alien against his skin. It was rough and soft at the same time, and the sensation it caused was oddly erotic.

_If I ever get out of here, I'm going to have to do this more often,_ he mused. The warm water was doing wonders for his swore and abused muscles. The only problem with the current situation was that Alex was still afraid of him and seemed unsure of herself. _It's not here fault though, _he thought. _She's just a kid, really. I'm probably old enough to be her father. But there _is_ someone I can think of that I'd want rubbing a sponge all over my naked body: Kate. Oh yeah, she'd do nicely._

Kneeling on the ground, Alex began to work on his legs. Starting at his calves, she scrubbed them until they squeaked with cleanliness. Then she took her time washing his kneecaps and feet, making sure to give each toe the same amount of attention.

_Ah hell, she's too nervous to go any farther. _"I'll take over from here, Sweetheart," he offered, taking the sponge gently from her hand.

She was going to protest, but when she saw the sincere look in his eyes, nodded and mumbled, "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," he muttered. He didn't want her thanks; he just wanted her to leave. He couldn't take any more of her doe-eyed Bambi look. Not when he was having such passionately sinful thoughts about another brunette.

Just then the door slid open and Gregory entered.

"No privacy," Sawyer mumbled under his breath.

"I do hope I'm not interrupting," Gregory said in place of a proper greeting.

"Not at all," Sawyer answered in a forced genteel manner.

"I'm glad to hear that," the other man responded. "Alex, Ben needs to see you now. He's in station F."

"On my way," she said, rushing to get to the door. Sawyer didn't know if she wanted to get away from him or if she was hurrying because of Ben. "Nice to see you again Sawyer. I hope you feel better soon."

"I'll do my best Sweetheart," he answered as the door slid closed.

"Is there anything else I can get you?" the German man asked, giving him a package of bandages. "I only came here to get Alex, but if there is something you need, I'm more than happy to help."

"Nothing I can think of."

"You look gloomy. Is there something on your mind? Something you'd like to discuss?"

"Not something, Dr. Phil, someone."

"Ah…" the other man said. "Let me guess. That someone is Ms. Austen?"

Sawyer regarded him with disbelief. _Am I that easy to read? _"Yeah, that's who it is," he replied. "I'm worried about her. Do you know anything? Can you tell me anything?"

"I can tell you she's doing fine. That's about all."

"Well, I'll believe that when I see it. Not that I don't trust your word and all, but I'm a guy that likes to see things firsthand."

"Understood."

"I just wish there was some way I could see her. Talk to her in some way and make sure she's alright."

"That can be arranged," the Other answered cryptically as he walked towards the cell door. "Just give me some time."

"Well, okay then," Sawyer said as the other man left.


	13. Chapter 13: A Comfort Zone

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you can recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed! It makes me really happy! Now, back to Jack and Kate's story. Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 13: A Comfort Zone_**  
**

When Kate awoke a few days later, she was laying on a very comfortable mattress, underneath a plush comforter. She felt oddly relaxed even though she had no idea how she had gotten there. Someone had taken her Red Sox shirt and jeans, replacing them with a lacy negligee. _What is wrong with these people? _she thought to herself, but she was relieved to feel the bra and underwear she had been provided with underneath the nightgown. She felt a little violated, but she wasn't in shock…until she rolled over.

Jack was lying next to her, underneath the comforter as well. _Oh my god. That nearly gave me a heart attack. _She thought as her heartbeat slowed. _He looks so peaceful when he sleeps. He's not upset or concerned or concentrating on anything._ Kate had an urge to touch his face, but she was more curious about another, sheet-covered, body part.

She couldn't help herself, and she gave into her girlish whim. Lifting the comforter ever so gently, she peeked underneath. She blushed and quickly dropped the blanket as Jack stirred. _He's bigger than I thought… _Kate smiled to herself. Unlike her, Jack was not wearing anything but his birthday suit. _For God's sake, I'm not a teenager anymore. It's not like I haven't seen one before. _His eyes fluttered open for an instant. _I hope he doesn't know what I just did._

"Morning," Kate said just above a whisper, her cheeks hot. She clutched the comforter to herself, even though she was wearing clothes.

Jack started at the sound of her voice, his expression surprised. He looked around the room, and then back at Kate, seeming to calm down.

"Morning," he echoed. "Where are we?"

"Good question," Kate agreed.

Scooting from underneath the covers she got out of bed. She slipped her feet into a pair of soft, fuzzy slippers that were conveniently laying beside the nightstand. She walked through a doorway connecting to the bedroom and found the bathroom.

It was spacious and had both a claw-foot tub and a shower. Everything was done in marble: the floor, the countertops, the tiles in the shower. On a hook hanging from the wall was a cashmere robe with "hers" inscribed on the back. Beside that robe was an identical one except "his" was written in fancy black thread across the back. _A little creepy, but cute at the same time, _Kate deemed.

All of a sudden, she felt extremely woozy. Knowing she was about to fall down, she grabbed onto the first thing in front of her. Unfortunately, the cashmere robe came off the hook and she tumbled backwards, hitting her head off of the wall.

"Kate!" came Jack's voice from the other room. In seconds he was by her side, with nothing but a thin sheet wrapped around him.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he quickly checked for signs of a concussion. "What happened?"

"I was just looking around, and then I got really dizzy. I tried to grab a robe to hold me up, but that didn't work as well as I had hoped. I don't know why I got dizzy though," she admitted as she rubbed her hands where she had hit her head.

"There'll be a bump, but nothing to worry about," Jack said as he rested his hand on top of hers. "It will go down in a couple of days. Do you think you can stand now?"

"Yeah, I think so," she said as he helped her to her feet. "Thanks."

"Here, I'll help you into the kitchen, and then you can eat something. That will get rid of any more dizzy spells."

"We have a kitchen?" Kate questioned, letting Jack guide her. He was holding her close to his side, one hand around her waist, the other holding the bed sheet together. _It's not necessary for him to do that, but I have to admit…I like it._

"I'm assuming we do. Seems like we have all the comforts of home here."

They walked through another door and found the kitchen. On the counter a white piece of paper was sitting out in the open. It was a letter and it was addressed to both of them. Kate read the letter out loud:

_Dr. Jack Shepard and Ms. Kate Austen,_

_As you can see you have been transferred to another facility. I hope that you find everything you need here. You are being monitored; however, we have given you privacy in places such as the bedroom and bathroom._

_I feel the need to apologize for any side effects you have experienced because of the sedative you received before your transfer. While you were sleeping you were injected with a sedative, but the pharmacist in charge of checking the dosage failed to do so correctly, and you were given more than you should have been. There will be no long-term hazards because of this mistake._

_We have been reading over both of your medical charts and have discovered that the best time for Kate's ovulation period is tomorrow; which is actually today since you will be reading this when you awake. You are asked to perform the tasks necessary to conceive a child on this day. _

_Allow me to remind you that you are being watched, and if you fail to comply, we will be forced to revoke our agreement and proceed as originally planned. However, we do not want to have to go to these extremes. Having a baby should be a joyous and loving experience. It should not be forced, or unpleasant. That is why we have given you today as a day to get to know each other better._

_Each of you are very valuable to us, and if you have need of anything, don't hesitate to voice your wish, and we will do all in our power to grant it._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Benjamin_

Kate finished the letter and looked at Jack.

"How considerate of them to let us get to know each other before we have to have sex." They smiled at each other and were silent for a moment, just thinking.

"What does he mean by proceeding as originally planned? What was the original plan?" she asked.

"I'll tell you later tonight."

His unhelpful response agitated her, but she decided to let it go; he would tell her later. Then she said, "So, how do you like your eggs?"


	14. Chapter 14: A Special Delivery

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Here's chapter 14. Hope you like it. Don't forget to tell what you think by leaving me a little review!

* * *

_Chapter 14: A Special Delivery_**  
**

Jack and Kate finished their breakfast of eggs and toast in relative silence. They had eaten a late breakfast, having slept until nearly noon. A few hours later they snacked on a small lunch. Then Jack excused himself to take a shower.

Kate cleaned up the dining area and began to wash the dishes. After she dried them and put them away, she went back to the bedroom. Sounds of running water could be heard through the bathroom door as she made the bed. Then she went over to the chest of drawers and began to look through its contents.

Two of the four drawers had women's clothing, and the other two were men's. Kate found a pair of jeans and a light green V-neck shirt that she liked. She also found more undergarments, none of which were practical. _So many bows and frills. What do I look like? A doll? _Still, she picked a bra that was a shade or two darker than her shirt that had an intricate lace pattern and put it with the rest of her clothes.

After picking out an outfit for herself, she did the same for Jack. She chose a black t-shirt and a pair of khakis. She also pulled out a pair of plaid boxers.

"Are those for me?" a voice asked, so close to her ear that she jumped, bumping Jack's chin in the process.

"Ow," he said.

"Oh my gosh, Jack, you scared me!" Kate exclaimed. She turned around and saw him rubbing his jaw. "I'm sorry." She touched his jaw tentatively, loving the stubble that brushed against her delicate fingertips.

"It's okay," he replied, gently grabbing her hand and kissing the palm before letting it drop to her side. She was surprised by the action, but at the same time it felt normal, as if he did it all the time.

"It's your turn," he said, indicating the shower with a tilt of his head. She smiled and nodded, then headed for the bathroom with her chosen outfit.

Kate stayed in the shower for a long time, letting the water pound against her head and body. She thought about Jack, and everything that had occurred since the Others had taken them captive.

_Why do they want me to have a baby? Why does it have to be Jack's baby? What was their original plan?_ Then a terrifying thought popped into her head. _What will they do with the baby once it's born? Oh God, what if they perform some type of strange experiment on it? I could never let anyone hurt my child, even if I hadn't wanted it. _

The water turned cold, and Kate was forced to get out of the shower. She dried off and got dressed. When she came out of the bathroom, she saw Jack sitting on the bed, dressed now, but deep in thought. He looked up at her as she emerged from the bathroom.

"Hey," Kate said in greeting. "You don't look so hot. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking. You don't look so good yourself. Something bothering you?"

She sat next to him on the plush bed. "Actually…" Kate began, but she was cut off by the sound of a doorbell ringing.

The two castaways looked at each other in shared surprise, and then got up and went to the door. Jack pushed Kate behind him in a silent command to stay out of the way in case something would happen. Kate submitted, but knew she would jump in to help if any type of fight broke out.

Jack opened the front door quickly, expecting someone to be on the other side. He was greeted with silence. Both of them peered out into the hallway, but they couldn't see anything, including another door.

"Jack, look." Kate pointed at the floor outside of the door where a brightly decorated basket lay.

He picked it up and brought it inside. He laid it on the kitchen counter and began to look through its contents.

"Looks like a bunch of wine. That's it, there's nothing else. Just wine," he said, clearly confused. The basket was topped with a huge, beautiful gold bow. A note was attached to it. Kate took it off of the bow and read it out loud.

_Just thought you could use some help in the whole seduction process. Maybe this will make everything go a little smoother. Personally, I suggest the Chateau Patreuse, 1982. Very refined. Hope everything goes well._

_Benjamin_

_Sick,_ Kate thought folding the note up. She glanced at the assorted bottles. Jack looked uneasy. "Well…should we open a bottle?" she asked.

"I don't drink. Ever since my father…I just can't," he tried to explain. It wasn't easy for him to get the words out and Kate laid a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay. I get it," she said. The logo on the bottle was a flashy red and the words were written in a wispy, yellow font. After a moment she shrugged, saying, "Well, I'd hate to see this go to waste. Besides, it might help with the whole being ordered to have sex thing. If you don't mind, I think I'll have some."

"Kate, I don't want to make love to you while you're intoxicated. I don't want to feel like I'm taking advantage of you while you are unable to make decisions."

"Jack, I'm touched that you feel that way, but one glass of wine is not going to make me completely delusional. I'll have it with dinner too, so you don't need to feel guilty at all." She paused, but then asked the question that had been plaguing her all day. "Do you think they would really…force us to have sex? I mean…can they even do that?"

There was pity in his eyes when he said, "Yes, they are capable of being so vile that they would force us to have sex. Even if it isn't possible to literally force us, they can still coerce us into having a baby.

"What do you mean? Does this have something to do with Ben's original plan?"

"I guess I should just tell you now," he responded. "Yes, it does deal with his plan."

"Well?" she asked when he didn't continue.

"Ben originally wanted to perform an artificial insemination."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure."

After a moment of consideration, she said, "I don't see anything wrong with it. It's not a major surgery…"

He interrupted her. "Ben planned on being the donor."

"What?" she gasped, horrified.

"I knew you wouldn't like that idea. I told him that."

"I'd kill myself before I had to carry any abomination of his."

"Yeah, I told him that too," he responded, smiling.

"Good," she stated.

"While you were passed out from the chemical gas, I got him to agree to let the two of us conceive a child. We're still being forced, but you won't have to throw up every time you think of having a baby. I thought this was the best choice," he added.

"It's the only choice as far as I'm concerned. I'm glad you said something."

"There's one catch," he admitted.

"What?"

"If you don't get pregnant tonight, you'll have to go through with the original plan."

"Then we better get a move on. Time's a wastin'" she joked as she picked up the wine basket and headed towards the bedroom.

"Where are you going with that?" Jack inquired.

"To pick out something sexy to wear," Kate replied over her shoulder, swinging the basket back and forth. "You get started on dinner, and I'll get everything ready."


	15. Chapter 15: A Bed, a Bottle, and a Bow

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you can recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

* * *

**Author's Note: **This is probably one of the longest chapters in this story. I have to warn you that this is the chapter that Jack and Kate get it on. However, it's not that overly graphic or explicit, so I don't consider it a M rating. It was a little difficult to write this part, but I hope you like it. Please review! Thanks!

* * *

_Chapter 15: A Bed, a Bottle, and a Bow_**  
**

The beat of stiletto heels hammered on the hardwood floor as Kate cached into the dining room. Jack was standing over the table, lighting red candles with a match. He almost burnt himself when he looked up at her. She blushed at his reaction, feeling self-confident in her choice of attire.

"Something wrong?" she asked, looking down at the dress, checking for white marks on the black fabric. The satiny fabric was spotless.

He cleared his throat and shook his head. "No, nothing," he stammered. "You clean up nice."

"Thanks," she said, not sure whether to take his last comment as a compliment or an insult. She clicked over to the table, and sat down without another word. Jack took his seat, opposite of her.

Dinner wasn't starting out how Kate had hoped. She wanted this evening to go as smooth as possible; to keep things comfortable between the two of them.

She felt about as comfortable as being locked in a jail cell with an unpredictable cellmate. _I need something strong to drink_, she thought. _Since we don't have any vodka, I guess the wine will have to do._

She excused herself form the table and walked over to the kitchen counter where a single wine bottle sat, still corked.

"Good God," she heard Jack mutter as he tried not to choke on his glass of water. Kate spun around with the wine bottle clutched in her hand, immediately worrying that something was wrong with him.

"What?" she asked urgently.

He didn't seem to hear her. He wouldn't stop staring at her though, making her feel infinitely more uncomfortable. She didn't like being gawked at like an exotic animal. He was definitely gawking.

"What is it?" she asked again, her voice edgy.

"Kate, you're missing the back of your dress," Jack stated, seemingly upset by the discovery. Her cheeks heated and she stared at her toes.

"It's not missing," she stated, "It was the only dress in the closet. I didn't think it was _that_ indecent. I'll go change." If she didn't escape his critical gaze she was afraid she would do something extreme. Yet, she didn't know if she would scream at him for his lack of manners, or cry from his disapproval._ This is ridiculous! I shouldn't care if he disapproves of what I'm wearing._ Still, she did.

She was scrambling from the room when his sure grip closed around her wrist. His touch made her fully aware that her dress was indecent at best. It took her a moment to gather herself before she could look him in the eyes.

"Don't," he said softly, his eyes almost pleading.

She couldn't remember what they had been talking about when he looked at her that way. "Don't what?"

"Change. You look absolutely beautiful," he explained. "I'm sorry if I made you think otherwise. You're dress…" he stopped, searching for the right words. "It's very shock and awe." Kate breathed a sigh of relief as he stood up and she resumed her seat.

"Come on, let's get back to dinner. You wanted wine?" he asked, taking the bottle from her hand and pouring her a glass as she resumed her seat.

"Thank you," she said as she took a sip of the wine. "It's delicious. Very tasty." Her second sip was much longer than the first, and she put down her empty glass with a smile. "Mind if I pour myself another?"

"Well, considering how much you've eaten, and how much you weigh, plus your estimated body mass index and your percentage of fat, I'd have to say that…"--Kate finished topping off her glass--"…you should be able to control yourself after another glass of wine."

By the time they finished dinner, Kate had finished more than half of the wine by herself. A hiccup escaped as she reached for the bottle to pour another glass. Jack intercepted the bottle before she did and waved it in front of her in a strict, fatherly way.

" Uh, uh, uh, missy. There _is_ such a thing as indulging too much," he chastised gently.

Kate came to her senses after she realized the bottle was out of her reach. _What is wrong with me? I've never been so frivolous with alcohol before,_ she shook her head in an attempt to clear the cobwebs forming there. _Well, there was that one night in Mexico,_ she admitted only to herself. _But I learned my lesson. I'd prefer not to repeat that chapter of my life. Why do I want more and more of that wine?_

She stood up and almost fell over. Jack caught her elbow in time and helped her to stand upright. His closeness allowed Kate to catch a whiff of him. He smelled of Dial soap, a little aftershave, and something male. Very male. It overwhelmed her already wine-heightened senses. _Mmmm, _she sighed inwardly.

"I'll clean up. You go in the bedroom and lay down. You're completely smashed." Kate thought she could identify a hint of disgust in his voice. She immediately went on the defensive.

"Jack, I'm fine, really. I didn't drink _that_ much wine. " Her words fell of deaf ears, so she tried another argument. "I don't know what got into me tonight. I never drink so much that I'm incapacitated. I guess I just underestimated the potency of the aged wine…"

"Kate, you don't have to lie to protect my fragile feelings," scorn and sarcasm were evident in his tone. "If sleeping with me is such an upsetting thought, just come out and tell me. I'll get it."

Her first reaction to this comment was pity—he actually sounded hurt—but it quickly evolved into anger. _How dare he think that I'm such an uncaring person! Since when did being a little tipsy translate into 'you're gross and I need to be wasted before hitting the sack with you'?_

"Urgh!" she grunted. "I am not drunk!" she nearly screamed as she tossed her hair over her shoulder and stormed out of the room, wobbling on her high heels in contradiction to her previous statement.

_To be honest, _she thought once she was in the bedroom, _I do feel a little weird. But not a drunk kind of weird. It's something different. _She sighed and tossed the little black dress on the floor. _I need something to show Jack that I _want_ to sleep with him. _She eyed the wine basket on the floor by the bed. _I really love that bow…_

* * *

After nearly and hour, Kate began to wonder if Jack was going to come into the bedroom. She was ready and willing, so where was he? 

"Jack?" she called. "Jack, can you come back here?" Laying down on her side and assuming a promiscuous position, she tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach. Then she waited.

"I thought you were sleeping off the effects of the wine," Jack said as he strolled into the room, a dishtowel in his hands. His jaw visibly dropped when he saw her on the bed. Kate's heartbeat galloped in her throat at the look of desire that filled his brown eyes. Passion coursed through her as well, and she beamed up at him at his appraisal.

"Want to come untie me?" she asked in a seductive voice, fingering the ends of the bow's string. She had taken the bow off of the wine basket and craftily tied it around her small frame so that more enticing body parts were covered, but only just so. From the way he was looking at her, Kate felt very sexy, and at the moment, in control.

Jack cleared his throat as his eyes roved over her scantly covered body. For a brief second she wondered if Jack's blood was on fire like hers was right now. She found herself hoping he was.

"Untie you?" he asked, disbelieving. Kate couldn't believe she was doing this either; she wasn't the seducer type. But she felt a need to do this for Jack. She nodded slowly in answer to his question.

He walked over to her, and before she could say anything else, he bent down and captured her lips in a passionate kiss that sent tingles up and down her body. She grabbed his head and pulled him closer as his hands entwined themselves in her hair. She didn't wait for him to direct the kiss. She assumed the power; took control. She deepened the kiss, sliding her tongue over his lips, slipping it inside as he granted her access. Jack inhaled deeply and returned Kate's actions. He seemed surprised by her advances but didn't protest. A whimper escaped her throat.

Suddenly, Jack pulled away. Both of them were breathing heavily.

"What is it? Did I do something wrong?" Kate asked, worried that she had disappointed him in some way.

"This whole thing is wrong Kate. I can't do it! It wouldn't be right. You're not in any state to be making rational decisions."

"I am not intoxicated!" Kate said, extremely frustrated and flustered. Her voice dropped to a whisper as she rubbed her swollen lips with her fingertips. "We don't really have a choice Jack. You know what happens id we don't do this tonight. Ben will…"

"Yeah I know," he barked out. "Look I just can't do this right now. Give me a minute."

"If our situation was different, you would you hesitate like you are now?"

"Hell no," Jack answered automatically.

She gave him her best sly smile. "Then why are you hesitating now?"

He gave her a long glare that dimmed the wattage of her smile, then ran his hands over his head in frustration and indecision. "I'm sorry Kate, I can't do it." He got up and stormed out of the room.

Kate hopped off of the bed. Again, when she stood she became dizzy. She grabbed onto the dresser to gain her balance. Getting her feet under her, she followed Jack into the living room where he was sitting on the black leather couch, his head in his hands. Just seeing him made her heart thump against her ribcage. _What is wrong with me?_ she wondered.

"Don't come any closer Kate," Jack warned in a weak voice. "I might not be able to control myself if you get any nearer."

Ignoring him, Kate walked over to the couch and stood in front of Jack. Gently she tilted his head up and looked into his beautiful eyes. She leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Even if they are forcing us to do this, it doesn't change the fact that I want it to happen."

He glanced up at her words, his expression disbelieving.

"I want this…I want you." She kissed his ear and then started trailing kisses down the side of his neck.

"Please, Kate. You're not yourself right now...Oh, God, that feels good," he exclaimed.

Kate drew back and pushed him on the chest lightly until he was leaning back on the couch. Slowly, she crept up onto his lap, straddling him. She leaned in and kissed him again. _This is so exhilarating, _she thought.

"I've never acted like this with a guy before. I've never been so horny that I couldn't stop myself."

Kate didn't know that she had said her thoughts out loud until Jack stopped kissing her. His hands stopped moving up and down her back as well, and Kate thought she would scream in agony at his cease-action.

"Get off," he ordered.

"What?" she responded, taken by surprise._ I know I'm rusty, but_ _am I really that bad?_

Jack didn't tell her twice. Instead he picked her up and laid her back down on the couch, quickly disappearing into the kitchen and coming back with the half-empty wine bottle.

"Oh, you just needed a drink. You could have said you needed alcohol to sleep with me," Kate said, referring to his earlier assumption. "I'll have some too if you don't mind," she added bitterly.

Jack took the cork out of the bottle and smelled the liquid inside. Then, not satisfied, he titled the bottle up and took a swig.

Kate laughed spitefully as she stood; ready to leave the room. _If he needs alcohol to sleep with me, he can forget it. That's downright cruel._

"This isn't something to laugh about Kate. You've been drugged."

* * *

_Drugged? Wow, someone is being a little bit too paranoid._ Kate laughed through hiccups for a few minutes at his incredulous news. 

"Finished?" he asked in an annoyed tone.

Kate nodded, one last giggle escaping her lips.

"Good. This is serious Kate. There's no telling how much of this drug you've ingested. No wonder you were basically throwing yourself on me."

A little put off by his last comment, but still in high spirits, she got up and drifted over to Jack. She was still wrapped in the bow, but nothing else. Jack stood absolutely still and closed his eyes as she drew nearer. She smiled coyly and walked behind him, dragging her index finger along his shoulders.

"You don't think I would throw myself on you if I weren't drugged?" she whispered in his ear, her breath fanning his neck. She could feel him shudder underneath her finger. "I can assure you, I would."

"You don't know what you're saying. You're off in Lala Land now," Jack ground out, his teeth clenched. He looked adorable when he was angry.

"Jack…" Kate whispered. When he turned to look at her, she continued, "I am _really_ horny right now, and if I don't get some soon, I am liable to go crazy and strap you to the bed." As she was speaking, she slowly untied the bow, letting it fall to the floor. "You wouldn't want me to do that, would you?"

"I don't know. I might," he admitted as his eyes devoured her naked body. Then he looked back up at her eyes. There was an intense passion burning there, but insecurity was hidden behind his open reaction. He really didn't want to do anything with her that she would regret later.

"I want this Jack. Forget about the Others, and the wine, and the drugs. Forget about everything else. The only things that matter are you and me. I understand your hesitation, but if you change your mind, you know where I'll be." And with that she left, heading for the bedroom. Jack stood where she left him.

* * *

As soon as she closed the door to the bedroom, she slid down the door to the floor, tears streaming down her face. _What is going on with me? Why am I acting this way? Okay, so I was drugged; that's no excuse. And why is Jack being such a jerk about the whole thing? I knew it. He hates me._

She got up and slipped into one of Jack's shirts that she grabbed out of his drawer. She didn't bother putting on underwear. Falling back on the luxurious bed and curling into the fetal position, she hid her face and her embarrassment.

Then she realized why she was so upset; why his rejection hurt so much. She loved him. God help her, she really _loved_ him. That bit of information hit her like a brick wall. _Great,_ she thought sarcastically._ I'm a freaking idiot…_ _I can't believe I fell in love with him. Why do I always do the stupidest things? I love him and he despises me._

She hit herself on her forehead a couple of times, hoping to knock some sense into herself. No such luck. She still loved him.

Hugging her knees, she tried to come up with reasons to reverse her thinking, to find a crippling flaw that would render him unlovable. Even unlikable. She came up with a rather short list, and none of the flaws were detrimental. In fact, they made her smile.

The only flaw he possessed was that he didn't love her the way she loved him. He couldn't possibly feel the same way she did. It was a very depressing realization.

Twenty minutes later the bedroom door opened. Kate didn't look up; she knew who was standing in the doorway. She knew she was being unreasonable, but she really wanted Jack to care about her. _Why is that so important to me? There are plenty of other men out there._ _But none like him…_she thought as she sobbed again.

"Kate…" Jack cooed softly as he touched her shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

When she didn't answer, he tried another approach, "I've made my decision."

Silence.

"I want you just as much as you want me. Maybe more." He rubbed her back in small circles, sending tingles all over her body. She quickly recovered from her depression.

She moved so that she was leaning on her elbow, her head in her hand, gazing up at Jack. "I guess this is an apology for thinking that I needed alcohol to sleep with you," she said softly. Jack grinned and leaned down to kiss her.

Forced to come up for air some minutes later, Jack eyed her new ensemble. Kate felt embarrassed because she wasn't dressed as nicely as she had been before.

"I love your new look. Much more you."

"Oh, please…" Kate sighed, knowing she looked disheveled.

"No, I mean it," he said with conviction behind the words. "You are the most beautiful woman that I have ever known. Seeing you in my shirt is extremely arousing."

Kate could feel that arousal pressing against her thigh. She cocked an eyebrow at his wolfish smile. His mouth covered hers again and they were both lost.

* * *

In the pre-dawn hours of the morning Kate awoke from a dream and looked over at Jack who was peacefully sleeping on his stomach, blessedly naked. She smiled as she realized she had never felt so complete, or satisfied, in her entire life. She knew the circumstances they were under were anything but normal, but she couldn't help feel that she was right to have chosen Jack; that picking him was her destiny.

Kate touched the side of his face with butterfly fingers. Jack responded to her touch by wrapping his arm around her mid-section and pulling her closer. She nestled closer to his chest and fell back asleep in minutes, cherishing the moment of complete happiness. She wasn't sure when she would ever feel this way again.


	16. Chapter 16: A Congratulation

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Will Jack and Kate's one night stand result in a pregnancy or will Kate have to have Ben's baby!? Find out in this chapter! _Then_, do me a favor and review! Enjoy chapter 16!

* * *

_Chapter 16: A Congratulation_**  
**

The following morning, Kate woke up to an empty bed. Feeling disappointed over missing a cuddle opportunity, she lazily crawled out of bed and got dressed. She pulled on a pink, pleated mini-skirt and a white button down shirt.

"They really have no practical clothes here," she muttered to herself. She was a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl.

Strands of hair flitted around her face as she attempted to contain the mass of chestnut brown locks with a ponytail. She walked into the living room and found Jack sitting at the dining room table across from Alex. Neither one of them looked happy to be there.

Kate didn't know if she wanted to hear the news she was sure would come if she continued forward. At the same moment she made her mind up to slip back into bed, Jack glanced up at her with an unreadable expression. Alex looked up too. _So much for being covert,_ she thought.

"Hi," she said shyly. Her bare feet made hardly any noise as she crossed the room and sat down beside Jack. The air around her was filled with animosity, and the expression on Jack's face hinted at a silent rebellion. Kate wasn't sure what to do. The silence was awkward.

Thankfully, Alex spoke up. "I know neither of you want me here, but I was sent by Ben to make sure everything went as planned last night. Jack informed me it went perfectly," she added. Kate blushed as she recalled the events of the previous night. "Assuming you're pregnant, Ben told me to offer both of you a congratulation. But he wants you to take a pregnancy test Kate."

"That's impossible," she scoffed. "Twenty-four hours isn't long enough to tell. It could be weeks until we find out if I'm pregnant."

"No pregnancy test is accurate enough to determine conception in one day. And it hasn't even been a full day yet. It's out of the question medically," he supported.

Alex shook her head sympathetically and passed an opaque plastic bag towards Jack. He didn't touch it.

"Maybe not any test you've been exposed to. Here on the island we have a specialist in the pre-natal field. She has discovered a hormone that changes instantly in a women's body upon conception. All she needs is a blood sample. The results will be in by tomorrow morning, but if she rushes, they could be in by dinnertime."

The captives were speechless. They exchanged glances and tried to take it all in. Hours. In hours they could know if she was pregnant or not. Kate felt queasy.

"I'm going to need the blood sample now, Jack. And before you protest, just know that Cane and Jeremy are standing outside, just waiting for a reason to come in and beat the shit out of you…and Kate. I suggest you just get it over with."

When he was going to protest, Kate grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. "I'm alright with this. Let's just get it done."

With her consent, he opened the package and pulled on a pair of rubber gloves. He gently rubbed her arm with an alcohol pad and tied the rubber band around her right bicep. Uncapping the syringe and tapping her arm to entice a vein to appear he poked her in the arm. Kate hardly even felt the pinch.

Fifteen seconds later he was removing his gloves and passing the sample over to Alex. He wouldn't speak. He looked disgusted. Kate smoothed the smiley face band-aid over her skin.

"Thank you for not making this difficult. Have a good day. And if you need anything, I'll be around."

"Some comfortable clothes would be nice," Kate said as the young woman got up.

"Noted. I'll see what I can do." The front door opened and closed, announcing Alex's departure.

"Okay, what's wrong?" Kate asked. She put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a comforting shake. "It's only a blood test. Not like they were asking for a liver or something." She was trying to keep the mood light-hearted in the strained atmosphere, and was failing miserably.

Jack cleared his throat. "What happens if you aren't pregnant? What about Ben's original plan?"

She shuddered at the unpleasant reminder. "Don't think like that. I _am_ pregnant," she stated, wishing she could believe that statement herself.

He gave her a skeptical look but didn't say anything else about Ben's plan. "Then, if you are pregnant…"

"I _am_."

"...What's going to happen to our baby? What's going to happen to you?"

The worry in his voice reminded her of her own thoughts a few days ago. She had been thinking the same thing when she had first thought about being pregnant. She didn't want anything to happen to the baby, and Jack didn't want that either.

"I don't know what they'll do," she admitted. She got up and went to go sit on the overstuffed, cherry-red loveseat.

"Do you remember when Claire went missing? We don't really know what happened to her out here. They could have done anything to baby Aaron."

"He seems healthy enough to me. Nothing unordinary." Her comment was met with silence. Kate played with her hands, cracking her knuckles out of nervous habit. _What if Claire was too far along in the pregnancy to do anything? If they started from scratch, they would have the opportunity to do whatever they wanted. _

"Jack I don't want them to hurt our baby."

She didn't realize she was crying until Jack came and sat next to her on the couch, enveloping her in a tight hug.

"Don't cry Kate. We'll get through this. I won't let them hurt our baby." He was trying to cheer her up by giving her false promises, but she knew that it was impossible for him to save their baby from whatever it was the Others wanted to do to it. Still, his attempt at comforting her was touching. She tried to stem the flow of tears, but his words made her cry even more. She hated crying in front of him, but couldn't stop herself.

He held her until her body stopped shaking with silent sobs. Cooing softly and stroking the hair that had escaped her ponytail, he calmed her down.

"I don't want you to worry about anything Kate. This is out of our hands. We're pawns in this game, and we just have to play along." He kissed the top of her head. "But no matter what happens, I will do whatever I can to protect you. No one is going to hurt you. Do you hear me?" She nodded against his chest in reply.

* * *

A few hours passed. Kate and Jack were still sitting on the loveseat, watching television. Her head was in his lap and he was playing with her hair. The two of them were silent, but content to keep their thoughts to themselves. Kate thought she would die of anticipation of the test results. She thought Jack's distracted attitude hinted that he was thinking about the same thing.

The incessant ringing of the doorbell made her bolt upright. Jack snapped to attention as well. She glanced at him, then stood and headed for the door. He was hot on her heels.

No one was in the hallway when she opened the door, but another basket was waiting for them. This one was decorated with a pink bow and had bottles, bibs, binkys, blankets, and other baby items. It also had a huge card that read:

**CONGRATULATIONS! IT'S A GIRL! **

Jack had to catch Kate as she passed out and fell backwards.


	17. Chapter 17: A Secret

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you can recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Now for a twist! Please R&R!

* * *

_Chapter 17: A Secret_**  
**

Kate's eyes flickered open, blinking rapidly to dismiss the remnants of sleep. She felt overly tired and slightly hung-over. She didn't understand why she was feeling so tired. It took her a minute to identify the object covering her nose and mouth as an oxygen mask. _Why am I wearing this? Where did it come from? _She also noticed that her arms were strapped to her sides._ Where am I?_

"The patient is awake, Doctor." The voice was feminine, but she couldn't identify the speaker. It wasn't Alex. The woman speaking had shoulder-length blonde hair and a serious disposition. Her white surgical jacket had seen better days, and underneath it she was wearing khaki shorts and a light colored camisole. _She looks professional, _Kate thought sarcastically.

Jack came into her vision a moment later, his face anxious and worried. She managed a weak smile for him, which seemed to cheer him up considerably. As he glanced at her chart, he visibly relaxed.

Kate wondered what had him so tense. _Surely I couldn't have been out that long? I don't think I hit my head or any other body part when I fainted. Why does he look so worried?_ His long exhalation of air confirmed her suspicions that she was missing a piece of the puzzle.

He stroked the top of her head as he spoke to her. "How are you feeling?" She could tell his attempts to stay stoic were failing. He looked like he wanted to cry.

"I feel fine. Just a little woozy," she said, her own anxiety building at his relieved expression. "Jack…what happened to me? The last thing I remember is opening the door and passing out."

"The antibiotics are what are making you feel woozy. As for what happened to you…" he paused, his voice suddenly sounding angry. He glared up at the blonde woman who was hovering over Kate's bed as well. The woman gave him a warning look, causing Kate's heart skip a beat in fear.

"As for what happened, I can't really say. What I can tell you is that you had a bad allergic reaction, but you'll be fine now. In fact, from looking at your chart, I'd say that you could be released today." As he left the room he nodded and tried to smile, but his attempts couldn't keep Kate's mind from coming up with a million different reasons why she was in the hospital and what the reaction was to.

Her mind was still reeling from Jack's carefully chosen words when she felt the straps on her arms being loosened. The blonde woman removed the oxygen mask from Kate's face and helped her sit up.

"Your clothes are in the other room Kate. Once you pick up your belongings, Cane will help you back to your…area." She didn't seem to know what to call the enclosure they were being held in.

Kate helped her out. "Why not just call it what it is? A prison."

The woman seemed to be most offended by the comment. She vehemently shook her head and gave her a sympathetic look. "Oh no, it's not prison. I'm sorry that you feel that way. You know that all you have to do is ask for something and it will be seen to. The comfortable clothes you asked for were given to you. We don't want you to feel trapped in any way Kate. We want you to feel like this is your home. No, it definitely can not be called a prison."

By the time her denial speech was over Kate was dressed. "I'd like to go back to my cell now. I'm tired. Where's Jack?"

"Jack has already been taken back to your _area_. I'm sure he's waiting for you. Here," she handed Kate a gunnysack, "Put this on your head please. Cane is waiting to take you home."

"I don't know of many homes that you have to walk to blindfolded," she remarked.

"Until you have passed the test, we need to ensure _our_ safety. That means that we can't let you see everything…yet. Don't worry; your test is coming up soon. Jack's too. Sooner than you may think."

"I don't suppose that this test is going to announced?"

"It's more of a subtle approach. No red flags I'm afraid. You have nothing to fret over; you'll pass with ease."

Before Kate could ask any more of her burning questions, Cane barged in to the recovery room.

"Come on Juliet. Stop the chitchat. I'm not waiting all day to take her to her cell. You," he said pointing at Kate, "Let's go."

She glanced at Juliet, who looked unphased at being interrupted. "At least someone has the right idea about this place being a prison," she commented as she pulled the gunnysack over her head. "Lead the way Deputy Cane." She held out her arms like a fugitive ready to be led to her cell.

"That isn't funny," she heard Juliet mumble as Cane escorted her out of the room. His grip was rough but she didn't really mind. She was used to the minor abuse now.

A few minutes later she arrived outside of her room without incident. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to pick up any clues of were they were being held either. Kate returned the sack to Cane.

Jack was waiting inside the door. It was obvious that he had been pacing the length of the living room, worrying about her. He was still wearing his doctor uniform. Unlike Juliet, Jack had the whole uniform: the pristine white jacket, sea-green scrubs, and a white surgical mask tied around his neck. He stopped walking when she stepped inside. Cane closed the door and left.

_Time for some answers,_ she thought and approached Jack with determination.

He seemed to read her thoughts. "I can't tell you anything else about your condition. Just know that you and the baby are fine."

"Okay," she said slowly.

"Do you want some lunch?"

The mention of food made her want to vomit, and she shook her head in denial. _Maybe he's not telling me because this place is bugged. If they don't want Jack to tell me what happened, they'll be watching us. I need a plan B…_

"I think I'm going to take a shower. My head's still a little fuzzy."

"You shouldn't take one if you feel like you might pass out again. You could fall and hurt yourself."

"Oh. I see." A little light bulb went off in her head. She smiled then, making him appear confused. "I've never seen you in a doctor uniform before. It's incredibly sexy." She stretched up to kiss him. He stiffened momentarily, but quickly wrapped his arms around her, deepening the kiss.

"I'm going to take a shower," she repeated breathlessly.

"Alright."

"Care to join me?" she asked smoothly, already taking off her shoes and socks. His left eyebrow arched, but his eyes told her he didn't care what her ulterior motive was. She didn't wait for his answer, but gave him another peck on the lips before sauntering off toward the bathroom.

She only managed to slip one leg out of her jeans before Jack entered the bathroom, pulling his shirt over his head. All thoughts of asking questions left her mind as she stared at his chest. He wanted her. She saw it in his eyes.

Discarding her jeans quickly she leapt up into his awaiting arms, locking her legs around his waist, and kissed him. He gripped her slender thigh with one hand, bracing himself against the bathroom wall with the other.

Kate stopped kissing him long enough to strip off her shirt. He was nibbling her neck and driving her crazy. The hair on his chest brushed against her soft stomach; however, unlike the previous night, the sensation wasn't a good one. It hurt and felt itchy.

"Stop," she gasped.

He reluctantly adhered to her request and pulled away. When she glanced down at her abdomen she gasped again. Her lower stomach was covered in a bumpy red rash and there were multiple Band-Aids on her skin. Alarmed, she glanced up at him.

"Jack…" she didn't know what to say.

"Oh, that…" he sighed as he let her slide down his hot body to a standing position. "Well, it looks a lot better," he began.


	18. Chapter 18: A Full Disclosure

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you might recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Where did that rash come from? What are the Others up to? Keep reading and you'll find out. Review! Review! Review! Please! Please! Please! Thanks!

* * *

_Chapter 18: A Full Disclosure_**  
**

Jack turned on the water in the shower full force. He leaned in, next to Kate's ear, and whispered, "I don't want them overhearing this conversation. They said they don't have cameras or microphones in here, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Hop in." He tilted his head toward the steaming shower.

She nodded. Since she was only in her frilly underwear, she just walked into the shower. _I need to focus right now, _she thought, _and I might not be able to concentrate if we we're both naked._ Still her mind strayed from the rash on her stomach to more pleasant thoughts as Jack removed his jeans and followed her into the shower.

The steaming water hit her rash and she yelped in pain. Jack positioned himself so he would be hit with water instead of her. They stood huddled together in the shower. It was a very intimate atmosphere, but Kate tried to focus on the mysterious rash on her stomach. It was extremely difficult.

"I want some answers Jack." She hated that her voice held a twinge of anger, but at the same time she felt she had a right to be upset.

"I'll tell you everything I know…but I don't know _everything_ Kate. The information that I did discover, I wasn't supposed to find out. They swore they would hurt you and the baby if I told you anything." His voice was heavy with emotion and she knew that if she looked up his eyes would be glazed with tears. Instead, she held him tighter and nuzzled her head against his chest.

"You can see why I'm hesitant to tell you anything," he sighed, "But you deserve to know what they're using you for."

Steam had clouded the glass door of the shower and could be seen rising all around them. The water was incredibly hot, but Kate still shivered, anticipating the news she was about to hear.

"Let's start with the rash. It was caused by a severe allergic reaction to a new steroid. It was made up of a combination of animal hormones. Boar, polar bear, and some species of bird, I think. I'm not a hundred percent sure what was in it. They had me inject the hormone into your uterus.

"Initially I refused to even consider giving you the steroid. Experimental drugs are dangerous, and without knowing the side effects, they can be deadly. They had only tested it on rats, and I didn't want you to be the first human subject. The risks were too high. You could have died…" he trailed off, but cleared his throat and added, "You almost did."

She did look up then. Water ran down the sides of his face, but Kate knew that stubborn tears that he ignored were mingled with the shower water. He looked so vulnerable, like her nearly dying was his fault. The Others had forced him to inject her with the steroids; he hadn't had a choice.

Looking at him in his current state gave her the urge to kiss him, to rid him of all his insecurities and self-doubts. _Oh no, I want to fix him, _she thought._ When I fall for a guy, I fall hard. Too bad it's not a reciprocated feeling. Although he does look really shaken over the near-death-experience._ She disregarded her last thought because he was a doctor. He was _supposed_ to care if his patient died.

He cast his glance down, averting his eyes from hers. The temptation to kiss him was too strong, and Kate turned his face to hers with her hands and pressed her lips to his.

It was meant to be a gentle, consoling kiss, but it rapidly advanced into a passionate, searing kiss that left Kate weak in the knees. Clutching Jack and breathing heavily she managed to get out what she had been wanting to say, "But you saved me. You stopped the reaction."

"Barely," he breathed out. "As far as I can see, these people have rudimentary medical supplies. They hardly have any antibiotics. They make their ointments from plants on the island. Still, I found some drugs that helped clear up your hives."

"Hives?" she asked incredulously. "I've never had hives. In fact, I've never had an allergic reaction to anything before. I'm not even certain I have any allergies!"

"Apparently you're allergic to whatever was in those hormones," Jack reminded her.

Kate shrugged his comment off, wanting to know the answer to her most burning question. "What exactly are these hormones supposed to do?"

"I was afraid you would ask that."

"Well, I am and I want to know."

"If they made the formula correctly--and I'm not sure they did--the animal hormones would speed up your gestation period."

"You mean I would be pregnant for a shorter amount of time?" He nodded in response. "How long would I be pregnant? Why are they trying to speed up the natural process?"

"The exact timing hasn't been determined, but I saw in a folder that the gestation period could be as short as three months. It's extremely dangerous. That would be like going through a trimester in one month, instead of three months."

He ran his hands through her slick, wet hair and kissed her forehead. "Your body might not be able to withstand the changes it will have to go through in order to have this baby. That's why they wanted me to be here to watch over you; to monitor your progress."

"You still haven't told me what they want the baby so quickly for," she whispered, trying to grasp the information that Jack was unloading on her.

"I'm getting to it." _Doesn't sound like he wants to tell me. That can't be good._

"I'm just going to say it, because there is no way this is going to be easy…Once they have perfected the formula to make the gestation period shorter, they're going to sell the formula on the black market, along with any babies made in the process…to show that they don't have defects and are capable of following orders."

"What?" It was the only word that she could utter.

"They are going to sell it to countries like Korea. Places that have civil wars all the time. The plan is to raise armies faster so they can increase their military power. The children would be raised from infancy in a military compound, only taught how to follow orders and strategize. They would literally be robots. They wouldn't have a life or will of their own."

Kate was the one who was crying now. "That's horrible Jack," she squeaked. "These people are monsters." Her quivering voice was laced with disgust.

"You're shaking."

"Yeah, I guess I am. I hadn't noticed."

He bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her slightly blue lips. "The water is cold. Maybe we should get out," he suggested, although he didn't make any motion to do what he said.

"Maybe we should." Kate's body didn't want to move. Her legs threatened to buckle underneath her, and her teeth had begun to chatter. Goosebumps erupted all over her skin, but she didn't want to leave the shelter of the shower, or his arms. Tears were still flowing down her face.

"Come on, you need to get out of here before you get hypothermia." He reached for the nozzle to turn off the water, but froze mid-action.

"When I turn off the water, we have to act like we just had amazing sex, okay? Otherwise, they might be suspicious of why we were in here so long." His words made her laugh, cheering her up considerably.

"Right, we just had great sex…"

"_Amazing _sex," he corrected with a lopsided grin.

"Amazing sex. Got it. Let's go."

* * *

Snuggled up on the king-sized bed in the lavish his and hers bathrobes, they sat in silence. Kate couldn't stop thinking of the horrific information Jack had told her. She knew she couldn't say anything about it now. Even in the privacy of the bedroom, she felt like she was being watched.

Her hand fell to the lower part of her stomach. _What will happen to my baby? What if these hormones alter its genetics? Will they harm the baby? Will it even survive? Will _I _survive?_

"Oh Jack…" she whispered, finally grasping the severity of the situation.

"Shh…I know," he kissed the top of her head lightly, "I know."


	19. Chapter 19: A Visitor

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Someone we haven't seen in a while comes back to visit Kate and Jack. And he has something important to say! Hope you like this chapter as much as I do! It's kinda long. Please review! Thanks!

* * *

_Chapter 19: A Visitor_

The jarring sound of the doorbell ringing made Kate roll over in bed. Jack stirred as well. She rested her head on his bare chest, not wanting to move from her comfortable position. _What would happen if we just didn't answer it?_

"I wonder who that could be," he asked irritably. "It's only two in the morning."

After learning it was so early, she felt apprehensive. Whoever it was, they probably weren't bringing good news. _If it were good news, they would have waited until the morning. _

"Do you mind getting it? I don't think I can handle anymore surprise packages or bad news."

"Alright." He kissed her forehead and rolled out of bed as the doorbell rang again. Pulling on some Levi's but skipping the Beatles T-shirt, he walked out of the bedroom and to the front door.

Kate rolled over and buried her head underneath the pillow. She had barely closed her eyes after tossing and turning for an hour and she was exhausted. _Why couldn't this have waited until morning?_ Silently cursing the Others, she tried to hear what was going on in the next room. All she could hear were muffled voices…three different ones by the sound of it.

Jack's voice carried in through the open door. He didn't sound very happy. "Kate, I think you better get out here. They want to speak with you too."

_I wonder who wants to talk with me? What could possibly be so important to have to wake up a pregnant woman at two AM? _Reluctantly she got out of bed. She shuffled across the room in her fuzzy slippers and pulled her robe on over the oversized t-shirt she wore to bed. Then she went into the living room. She was fussing with the robe belt, trying to adjust it comfortably on her inflating stomach, when she looked up.

"Hello Freckles."

"Sawyer!" she exclaimed.

Several different feelings hit her at the same time and collided, leaving a train wreck of emotion. She was relieved, joyous, worried and confused all at the same time. She hurried towards him and enveloped him in a bear hug. He squeezed her until she couldn't breathe.

"Why don't we leave Ms. Austen and Mr. Ford alone for a few minutes? I'd like to speak with you privately, if you would, Dr. Shepard," Gregory, the German Other, stated, escorting Jack into the kitchen as he spoke. He didn't protest.

Kate hadn't even noticed the German man was there. Before she could inquire about this visit, Sawyer commented on her new addition.

"You gettin' fat Freckles, or is that just my imagination?"

Punching him in the arm lightly, she smiled. "Yes and no. It's normal to get _plumper _when you're pregnant."

"Pregnant?" he asked, making sure he heard her right. She nodded. "Well, how the hell did that happen?"

"Do I need to explain it to you step by step, or can I give you a general summary?"

He smiled. "I don't know. I might need a diagram…or a demonstration." He winked devilishly. Then, in the blink of an eye his expression became uncomfortable and worried. "It's the Doc's right? None of those sick bastards touched you did they? Cause if they did, I'm gonna…"

"What? Go back in time and change what happened? I'd like to see you try," she laughed.

"I just wanted to know that you were okay."

She was touched by his concern. _Underneath that rough exterior is a truly good guy. _

"It's Jack's," she assured.

"You two couldn't find anything better to do to pass the time?" he questioned sarcastically, but there was a mischievous glint in his eye that told Kate he was teasing.

"It's not exactly like that. We didn't have much choice in the matter." She was going to continue to tell him the whole story, about Ben's original plan and how they had chosen to conceive a child themselves instead, but she wasn't sure if that was a good idea.

_What if I'm not supposed to say anything about it to anyone and they find out I told Sawyer? What would happen to him? I should just keep my mouth shut. _When he cocked an eyebrow at her partial story she said, "It's a long story."

"How far along are you?"

Roughly calculating the actual time to the normal time in her head, she figured she was just about through her first trimester.

"Three months," she replied, giving him the actual stage of pregnancy rather than the time it had really occurred in.

His forehead crinkled in thought. "But that's impossible. We've been on the island for three months, but we've only been with these people for one. There's no way you could have been pregnant that long…unless…" he raised his eyebrow again, "Did you and the Doc fool around right after the crash?"

The blatant question would have surprised her if it had come from anyone but Sawyer, but she expected him to say something like that. "No we didn't. We didn't 'fool around' at all until last month."

"But…"

"Like I said, it's a long story," she interrupted. "Enough about me. What about you? Why are you here?"

It was obvious by his expression that he wanted to protest the change in topic, but he answered her. "Can't a friend drop by for a visit?" She smiled but didn't laugh. She wanted to know the real reason. "Okay…look, there's something I have to tell you. But I don't want the Doc overhearing."

She allowed him to lead her across the living room and into the dining room where they sat down. _He's acting strangely,_ Kate thought to herself._ We were just joking a moment ago and now he's completely serious. That's not like him…not at all. _

"It's like this Kate…There's a way for us to get off this island."

"What?" she asked loudly.

"Shh. You have to be quiet about this. Now, there is a way to get off this island. See, I made a little pact with Gregorio over there and he and I have been planning it for a while now. He wants to get off this island just like the rest of us. He doesn't fit in with these people. I think I can trust him, and this might be our only chance."

"How…" she began.

"Once every three months a cargo ship comes into port to bring in supplies. It also has helicopters on it, which explains the food drop-off in the middle of the jungle." She nodded, remembering the mysterious parachute full of food that had literally dropped form the sky.

"Greg is going to get on that boat and sail out of here. The Others have given him permission to go, and he plans to sneak me off using a big cargo box that is supposed to be holding his belongings. I said I couldn't leave until I tried to convince you to come with me. Hence, why I'm here."

Kate was speechless. _I can't believe there's a way to leave this God forsaken island. It's almost too good to be true. _

"What about Jack?" she asked automatically. She hadn't done anything without him for the past month. She couldn't just leave him out of this discussion. Sawyer frowned. _That isn't a good sign,_ she decided.

"Well, Freckles…you see…there's only room for two. That's why I didn't want the Doc overhearing. I don't want him to know. We'll slip you out in the middle of the night, and he'll just be told that you disappeared or died or something like that. He'd never need to know."

"I can't just leave Jack. And I certainly won't let him think I'm dead." Her statement was forceful, and for good reason. She loved Jack. Whether he loved her back or not didn't matter. She couldn't abandon him to his fate on the island. If she left, he was going with her.

"There's no other way. The crate isn't big enough for him to come too. I'm sorry Freckles."

"Then I can't go."

Anger began to dominate his features. "Now you're just being stupid Kate. You're pregnant. You need to get the hell out of here while you still can."

He was practically yelling at her, causing her moodiness to escalate. It was obvious he was concerned about her; she understood that. She _was_ pregnant after all. _If I leave with him the baby might turn out to be normal…if she survives. She would have a normal life. Still, her father wouldn't be with her. There would be Sawyer, assuming he'd stick around. But that's assuming a lot._

"You don't know what you're asking me to do," she said solemnly.

He reached over and clasped her hand. "I'm asking you to leave with me. To give your baby a chance. To give me a chance."

"You've already had your chance Sawyer. You've had a lot of them."

He appeared hurt by her last comment.

"So," he said slowly, "You don't think there is any future for the two of us? Ever?"

"I can't answer that."

"It's alright. I understand. You have a thing for Jack. But you have a thing for me to. I know you do."

"It's more than a _thing_ between me and Jack, Sawyer. I do…_did _have a thing for you," she corrected herself. "Your problem is that you are confusing lust with love."

If he was wounded by her response, he hid it well. In fact he was smiling.

"So, you admit that you have a thing for me."

"_Had_. Past tense. As in over and done with." She wanted to set him straight.

He responded by winking at her. "We both know that ain't true Freckles. You still have a thing for me. Always have, always will."

"There is no thing!" she shouted in frustration. He chuckled in response; a deep sexy rumble that Kate was loathe to admit did appeal to her a great deal. _Maybe he _is_ right about me being attracted to him, but Jack's the only guy for me. Plus I can't stand his arrogance._

"Mr. Ford…" Gregory said from the next room, warning them that their time was almost up.

Turning serious again, Sawyer turned to her. "Kate, I have to know now. Are you sure about your decision? Do you really want to give up the chance to leave this hellhole for Jack? Is he worth your life? Your baby's life?"

"He's worth everything. I know it's hard for you to understand that, but it's true. He's all I've had for a while now, and he's become my world. No, I'm not going with you."

With a brief nod the conversation ended. They stood up and went back to the living room. Gregory and Jack were awaiting them. Jack's expression was unreadable. The German man was all smiles.

"Ready to go Mr. Ford?"

"Yeah. See ya Doc," he said to Jack.

"Goodbye Sawyer," he replied with a yawn and a wave as his footsteps retreated to the bedroom.

Kate was equally exhausted and longed to follow Jack back into the bedroom and sink into the mattress.

"Goodbye Sawyer," she said as she enveloped him in a friendly hug. He was hugging her with such force that she was sure she would have bruises in the morning. Affectionately rubbing his arm, she pulled away gently, turning to follow in Jack's footsteps.

"Kate…" Sawyer's voice was soft as he beckoned her back to his side with little more than the tilting of his head. When she was in his range, he embraced her again. "I'll see you in another life," he whispered into her ear. He pulled back slightly, revealing the mirth in his eyes—a twinkle that clashed with her watery vision—bringing a smile to her chapped lips.

"Can I have a kiss goodbye? For old time's sake?" he inquired softly.

The earnestness in his voice caught her off guard. _What should I do?_ she wondered quickly. _Jack would get angry if he saw me kiss anyone but him._ She glanced behind her on each side; Jack was not in the vicinity of the front door. She assumed he had gone back to bed. _What he doesn't know won't hurt him,_ she figured. _Besides, it's only a friendly goodbye kiss; nothing meaningful._

"Okay," she conceded.

Sawyer cocked a disbelieving eyebrow at her hesitation, but leaned in to kiss her anyway.

_Oh boy, I'm in trouble,_ Kate mused. The kiss was much more meaningful than she had expected. Even Sawyer seemed to be caught up in the moment, temporarily losing his rough-around-the-edges demeanor.

The kiss caused the old flame that had recently simmered down to glowing embers to reignite into a bonfire of passion. It quickly escalated from a friendly, meaningless goodbye, to a dangerously sultry farewell of lovers. His kiss was toxic, his touch enflaming. He slanted his mouth over hers again and again while pulling her closer by cupping the back of her neck with his hand.

A tiny voice whined in the back of her mind. "Get out now, before you take it too far," it cautioned. "What if Jack walks in?"

She knew she should listen to her personal Jiminy Cricket, and normally she would have pulled away, but she couldn't bring herself to tear away from Sawyer's embrace prematurely. _This is the last time I will ever see him f he manages to get off this island,_ she said, trying to reason with her nagging conscious. _He might even die trying._

"Don't say I didn't warn you. If Jack finds out, it's not going to be pretty," the annoying voice predicted. She knew it was right. As if to help Kate save her from herself, Gregory cleared his throat.

"Mr. Ford, we really need to be going. If we stay any longer, some of the others may start to miss us, and that will lead to unwanted suspicions."

His comment was the only thing that brought the ex-lovers back down to Earth to face the realities of their situation. They were both slightly out of breath and Sawyer rested his forehead against hers.

"I'm going to miss you Freckles. Promise you'll remember me?"

She still couldn't form a coherent thought, but she managed to concentrate enough to whisper, "I promise".

Her mind had a mental relapse when his face lit up in an award-winning smile. Unable to restrain herself, she brushed a finger over her bruised lips. Her pulse quickened and she blushed as she recalled her alarming reactions and lack of self-control during their intoxicating kiss.

Sawyer glanced over her shoulder, then turned his eyes back to her, his smile changing to a wickedly charming grin.

"Looks like there's going to be trouble in paradise," he remarked.

"Huh?" she said, hardly catching his words, lost as she was in her own thoughts. His comment confused her.

"Mr. Ford…" Gregory said irritably. It was the first time Kate had ever seen him become frustrated.

"Alright, I'm coming," Sawyer said, finally pulling himself out of Kate's arms. She didn't have a chance to ask him what he had meant by his previous comment.

He walked through the door that the German was holding open, pausing to look back at Kate. He gave her a weak smile, which she immediately returned. Then he walked out of sight, leaving Gregory in the doorway. _I'll never see him again, _she lamented.

Before leaving, Gregory addressed Kate. "Ms. Austen. May I have a word?" He was back to his usual formal and friendly tone.

She nodded, wiping at the few tears that had escaped with her pajama sleeve.

"I can see that Mr. Ford's departure will be hard on you. Do not worry, I will ensure that he gets off this island and on to a better life. Also, while you were speaking to him, there was no surveillance. I made sure the monitors and recorders were disconnected before I came here with Mr. Ford. On my way back, I will reconnect them. I would also like to tell you that he has been treated well; you have my word on that. All of his injuries have healed nicely."

"Thank you for telling me," she replied, truly sincere.

"It's the least I could do." He turned to walk out of the open door.

"Oh, one more thing I think you would want to know." He didn't wait for her to acknowledge his statement. "You passed the test."


	20. Chapter 20: A Misunderstanding

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

* * *

**Author's Note:** The aftermath of Sawyer's visit. (Sorry, but it gets a little day-time soap-ish at the end. But, hey, it's a drama.) Hope you like it. Please review!

* * *

_Chapter 20: A Misunderstanding_

_What? I passed the test? What test? The evaluation? When did this happen?_ Kate had a million questions about the remark the German Other had given her, but he was gone before she could form a coherent thought. _What's going on?_

Frustrated, she turned around, thinking to ask Jack about what this revelation meant. Then she remembered that he had gone to bed. Still confused, she began to wander down the hallway to her bedroom.

_I don't understand; was the test choosing to stay here with Jack or leave with Sawyer? Why would they care about that? The Others aren't even supposed to know that Sawyer is leaving. Was it all a lie?_

"Jack?" she called out. "Are you still awake?" she asked as she walked into the bedroom. The bed was empty.

An unexpected thumping sound made her jump and turn towards the bathroom door. She reached for it, but when she tried to turn the handle, it was securely locked. She knocked politely but received no response.

"Are you in there? What's wrong?" She could hear the sink running, telling her that he was behind the door. _Why won't he answer me?_

"Jack!" she yelled, louder this time.

The running water cut off abruptly. She could hear him rummaging through cabinets through the door. He was mumbling to himself and Kate leaned up against the door to try to understand what he was saying. The only word she caught before he flung the door open was "Damnit".

She almost fell forward as the door swung open, banging loudly against the counter. Kate took a step back to balance herself. When she saw the rage in his eyes she stumbled back a few more feet, suddenly wanting to distance herself from him. She had never seen him like this before. He was almost shaking with pent up fury. In that instant she was afraid of him. However, her fear quickly turned into anger. He had no reason to be this angry.

"What—do—you—want—Kate?" His voice was strained, his words clipped and harsh. It seemed like he was trying to control his temper. His tone angered her further. _What is wrong with him?_

Afraid that she would start a screaming match if she responded, she stayed silent. _At least I can control my temper,_ she observed proudly. She couldn't comprehend this sudden mood change. She raked her brain for possible answers. All she could come up with were more questions. Had _she_ done something to upset him? Had Gregory said something to him while she was talking with Sawyer? Then it hit her.

_Sawyer, _she thought. _Oh no, maybe he saw us kissing._

As she discovered the source of Jack's anger, she also noticed the large hole in the wall behind his head. Quickly glancing down, she saw his right hand was covered in a bloody towel. Her anger dissipated instantly and she stepped forward and grasped his arm, removing the red-stained hand towel.

"You're hurt," she whispered, the words coming out hoarsely. His knuckles were bloody, the skin split open. A few pieces of plaster were embedded in the gashes. Blood was oozing from his knuckles, sluggishly rolling down his hand and dripping onto the hardwood floor. Kate thought it looked worse than it was, but it still needed to be cleaned up.

"Does it hurt terribly?" she asked.

"No." The statement was clearly a lie. When she lightly brushed a fingertip over the skin near his knuckles he pulled away from her. "Leave it alone. I'll be fine." His tone was still imposing, but Kate wasn't intimidated anymore. He was acting like an injured animal, lashing out at the person trying to comfort it as a way to defend itself.

"Let me see it. It needs to be cleaned."

"In case you forgot: I'm a doctor, Kate. I think I can manage to clean up a little cut by myself."

His words stung, but she wasn't backing down. She knew from experience that it was hard for someone to treat an injury on their hand themselves. And there was no way Jack could call the gashes across the top of his hand little cuts. She took his arm again, this time her more firmly.

"Kate…" His voice and eyes warned her to not proceed with her actions.

"Get over it Jack. I'm going to help you, even if you don't want me to. Just get a grip. Okay?"

He didn't say anything in response, but when she started to lead him to the kitchen, he followed her without argument. He sat down at the counter while Kate gathered supplies to clean the wound. She found peroxide and bandages, and also filled a bowl with hot water. She grabbed a dishtowel and sat down beside him.

"This isn't necessary. Really."

She ignored him. "Jack, why did you do this to yourself?" she asked instead, dipping the towel into the hot water and wringing out the excess. She took his hand in hers and laid the towel across his injury.

"Shit! That's hot!" he roared as he pulled away from her, flinging the towel to the floor. Kate was getting frustrated. She retrieved the towel from the floor and dipped it into the water again.

"Come on Jack. It's not that hot. Stop being difficult and give me your hand," she ordered. He was hesitant to obey but she tried to keep her patience.

She looked him in the eyes and said, "I promise I'll try not to hurt you. But you can't spaz out on me like that, okay?"

Placing his hand back in her open palm, he nodded. "Sorry," he apologized.

Kate gently dabbed at the wound, clearing away the dried blood and the plaster pieces. She still wanted to know if he had punched a hole in the wall because he and seen her kissing Sawyer.

"Do you want to tell me what you were so upset about?" Her question was met with a hostile silence.

"Was it something I did with Sawyer?" she pushed on. She uncapped the bottle of peroxide.

"Damnit Kate, you know that it was seeing you kiss that bastard," he stated through clenched teeth as Kate cleaned the open wounds on his knuckles. Still, he didn't move away from her. She blew on the bubbling liquid to take some of the sting away.

"I didn't think you had seen us kissing," she admitted. "I thought you had gone back to bed…" She realized she was digging herself into a hole and paused. Then she sighed and said, "I'm never going to see him again, and he asked me if he could."

"What?"

"He's leaving soon. For good. This visit was so he could say goodbye."

"I didn't know that you would miss him that much. I know I won't."

"Well, maybe you won't, but I care about Sawyer. He's going to be risking a lot to get away from here…possibly his life. When he asked me to kiss him, it sounded a lot like a last wish Jack. I couldn't _not_ kiss him."

"I see. So he asked if he could kiss you?"

She nodded.

"I wish you would have told me that before I put my hand through the wall. I would have put it through his face."

She let his macho comment slide. He was only being protective, although she did think he was overreacting.

"But you could have told me before that you loved him and not me. I would have accepted your honesty," he commented dryly.

His remark stunned her. How could he think that she didn't love him? She had been with him exclusively for over a month. They had been through a lot of rough times, sure, but that didn't change anything. She loved him with all her heart, and he was saying that she didn't give a damn about him. How could he be so blind to not know the extent of her love?

If she didn't confess how she felt about him now, he might never believe her. She decided to suck it up and be the first to show a vulnerability.

"You're wrong Jack. I don't love Sawyer. I love you. Truly." She held her breath.

"Your actions say differently."

She didn't know whether to be angry or devastated. Even though tears gathered in her eyes, her voice rose when she spoke. "Why would you think I love Sawyer? He's nothing to me! Sure, I care for him. He was there for me a lot…but that was before.

"I know that kiss crossed the line, and I'm sorry, but I couldn't stop myself. I was just coming to terms that I won't see him again. You're the only man for me Jack. Please, say you believe me."

"Kate." One word told her that he still didn't think she was telling the truth. That made her furious. She had an itch to slap him.

"If I didn't love you, why would I still be here? Why didn't I leave with Sawyer?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about my chance to get off this damn island. Sawyer offered me a way out, but I _chose_ to stay here with _you_. Sawyer wanted me to leave you, but I couldn't. I couldn't leave you because I love you too much to let you suffer here alone. I couldn't…I just couldn't Jack…I couldn't…" Her admission had started out strong, but by the end, her voice was quaking with unshed tears.

Jack was silent for a long time. Kate couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes. She finished wrapping his hand with gauze and tape. Taking deep breaths she pushed back the tears that threatened to fall. _I will stay in control,_ she chanted.

His voice was gentle when he spoke."Sorry I was acting like a jerk. Guess I was kind of jealous. I thought maybe I had lost you to some petty Red Neck thief... I love you Kate." Her heart skipped a beat when he said those words.

"I'd hate to see you with anyone except me," he added.

Although his comment was slightly arrogant, she smiled at him. "It's okay," she said slowly. "It was just a misunderstanding. Besides, now that I think about it, you acting jealous is incredibly sexy."

"Really?" It was the only word he got out before she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him.


	21. Chapter 21: A Tragedy

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Here's chapter 21. Hope you like it. It's kinda...well, you'll see what it is. R&R please!

* * *

_Chapter 21: A Tragedy_

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Kate was roused from a rather peaceful slumber with astonishing speed. She glanced at the alarm clock: 3:15 AM. _Sawyer again?_ she wondered.

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

_Definitely not Sawyer._ She reasoned that he would be cautious not to attract attention to himself while trying to get in to their holding area. Whoever was at the door didn't care if they were caught. They wanted to be heard.

"Stay here," Jack ordered, getting out of bed and rushing out of the room in nothing but plaid boxers.

"The hell I will," Kate muttered. Rolling out of bed she pulled on her robe and was starting to put on her slippers when she heard angry voices in the next room and froze mid-action.

"He came here didn't he?" It was Ben's voice.

"I don't know who you're talking about," Jack replied.

"You're a horrible liar Jack. Now tell me, did Sawyer come here?"

Kate jumped at the mention of Sawyer's name. Had Ben found out that he had been here? If he had, why was he questioning Jack about it now? If Jack told Ben about what Sawyer escape plan, would they punish Sawyer? What would Jack do? Rat Sawyer out, or keep mum about what he knew? She wasn't sure which action would be better. She listened intently when Jack began to speak.

"I haven't seen or even heard from him in over a month. Why would you think he came here?"

"Stop lying Jack. Why do you feel the need to cover for him? Just tell us if he was here or not and we'll go away."

So Ben wasn't here alone. _That can't be good,_ Kate thought. If Jack didn't give them the information that they wanted, someone was liable to get hurt; it would probably be Jack.

"He wasn't here," Jack's voice raised another notch.

"If you won't cooperate, the information will be taken from you forcibly."

Silence.

"Last chance," Ben warned.

"You're not going to get anything out of me."

"We'll see about that," he sneered. "Go ahead Jeremy."

In that instant Kate's body responded to her brain and she sprinted for the living room. Jeremy was closing in on Jack, who stood ready to fight, even though he had an injured hand and was greatly out-matched. If Jeremy got his hands on him, there was no possibility of victory.

"Don't touch him!" she yelled, stepping into the overhead lights. Jeremy stopped, not because of her edict, but because he seemed humored by the situation. He knew he had the upper hand and he could take his time doing what he wanted to do.

Ben glanced in her direction. "I was wondering when you were going to join us Kate." He gave her a once over that caused knots to form in her stomach. "You look like you're developing nicely. Come closer and let me look at you."

"I'm not getting anywhere near you, you sick bastard."

"That's not a very motherly thing to say."

"Sorry, guess I'll have to work on that," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest and staying put.

"Get over here Kate. No matter how much you despise me, you still answer to me. I'm getting impatient. Come here. Now."

She held her ground because she knew she was safer where she was. A strong feeling that Ben had something up his sleeve kept her rooted to the spot. She didn't particularly want to find out what he was going to do to her if she got close.

"Don't make me repeat myself."

She really hated this man and his I-own-you attitude. Kate knew he was treating her like a child to get her to obey him. She also knew it wasn't a good idea to piss him off. Nonetheless, she didn't heed his order.

"Cane, please help her come closer. She seems to be having some trouble understanding an order when she hears it."

"Gladly," Ben's henchman answered, stepping toward her. Jack made a move to cut off the Other, but Jeremy intercepted him. He twisted Jack's arm with the bandaged hand behind his back.

"Don't touch me," she warned as Cane reached out for her.

He actually laughed. "Or what? You gonna do something about it?"

He grabbed her upper left arm without listening to any pathetic excuse she would make. He also made the mistake at looking at Jeremy and sharing another laugh at her expense.

His not expecting a physical reaction from Kate made her small victory all the more enjoyable. Her fist connected with his left cheekbone. The hit hurt her hand like hell, but his groan of pain made her smile. When he let go of her arm she backed away.

"I told you not to touch me."

"You're gonna pay for that," he mumbled, spitting blood tinged saliva on the carpet and wiping the back of his hand over his mouth.

She couldn't back up fast enough when he lunged at her. She couldn't overpower him when he lifted her up in the air and sent her flying backwards. She couldn't stop herself from landing on the hardwood floor on her stomach. She couldn't keep herself from crying out in pain.

"Kate!" Jack yelled, watching the whole tragedy as it unfolded in slow motion. Jeremy still had him in a position where he was powerless to help her.

Cane wasn't finished. He ignored Ben's yelled orders to stop and walked up to her. She tried to prop herself up enough to crawl away, but it was too late. He was standing menacingly above her, and evil smile planted on his harsh face.

"What do you have to say now bitch?" he asked as he lifted a booted foot and kicked her in the stomach. She flipped over onto her back gripping her growing belly.

Suddenly Cane was laying on the floor next to her, shaking violently. Kate looked up to see Ben with a taser in his hand. He was livid, but he shook his head in disappointment.

"Jeremy, leave the doctor go and get Cane. Take him to section F and leave him in cell three. I'll deal with him in a moment."

The other henchmen let go of Jack's arm and went to obey Ben's command. Jack flew to Kate's side and gathered her up in his arms. She was shaking from the intense pain. Tears flowed freely from her squinted eyes.

"I can't say anything to console you," Ben stated simply. "I can't even say that Cane will suffer as much as he should. He will pay severely for this outburst, but unfortunately he is not expendable…

"You will be given time to recover from this incident, but, assuming the specimen is dead, we will have to arrange a time to continue our efforts. But don't think about that now," he added as he opened the door to leave.

"And as for the Sawyer thing. I know he was here. Our monitoring system was conveinently down last night. I don't know exactly when, and I don't know why, but I will find out. Of that you can be certain. If you'll excuse me, I have some pressing matters to deal with at the moment." And he left.

_Despicable, horrid, unfeeling man, _Kate thought to herself as Jack scooped her up and carried her into the bathroom. She wrapped her arms around his neck and wouldn't let go, even after he set her on her feet on the marble floor of the bathroom.

After five minutes of clinging, he gently removed her arms so he could start a bath for her. A coldness that couldn't be shaken engulfed her entire body. Kate felt a wetness between her thighs and when she saw the blood on her fingertips she crumpled to the ground beside the claw-foot tub and wept like a lost child.

Later that night, after the relaxing bath and Jack's whispered words of consolation and encouragement, they both lay on the bed, wrapped in each other's arms. Both cried over their loss and understood without words how each other were feeling. Kate tried to think about the future, about the next step, but couldn't bring herself to focus.


	22. Chapter 22: A Denial

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I know the last chapter was sad. This one isn't much better. It's another Sawyer chapter. Ben stops by to tell him the bad news about the baby. How will Sawyer react? Hope you like it. Thanks again for all the reviews! Keep it up!

* * *

_Chapter 22: A Denial_

"I don't know who's helping you James, but I will find out."

Sawyer glanced up from his copy of _The Moon and the Sixpence_, and regarded Ben with a wary eye. He was careful to keep his reaction to the Other's statement hidden behind a mask of ignorance.

"Don't know watcha talkin' about chief," he stated, flipping a page in his book.

Ben walked over and stood directly in front of him, trying to show dominance and demand respect. Sawyer stifled a laugh at his attempt.

"Ya mind? You're blocking my reading light."

"This isn't the time to joke," Ben stated flatly. "Tell me who's in league with you."

When Sawyer continued to ignore him, Ben grabbed the book and threw it over his shoulder violently. It skidded across the floor, coming to a stop when it hit the opposite wall. Ben glared at him, losing any ounce of patience he had left.

Knowing that an angry response wouldn't get him anywhere, Sawyer opted for the laid back, smart-ass reaction. "I guess quiet time's over then. Darn. I was just getting to the good part too." He pretended to be crestfallen.

"Who helped you get to their holding cell?" Ben asked, ignoring Sawyer's sarcastic comments.

"Whose holding cell?" he asked smugly.

"Dammit. Give me a straight answer. You know who I'm referring to."

_It's too much fun to stop pushing his buttons now. Might as well see what his limit is._ "Can't say I know what it is you're talkin' about. I don't know whose cell you're referring to, and I certainly ain't friends with any of the people round here. Why would any of them help me?"

Ben's fuse was shorter than Sawyer had expected it to be. His fist smacked down on the bedside table next to where Sawyer was sitting. Only practice and past experiences kept him from flinching. He was inwardly surprised by the, usually calm, Other's reaction to his antics. _Well, who'da thunk?_

Still, Sawyer knew the shrimp of a man standing in front of him didn't stand a chance against him in a physical fight. _Unless he's got one of those annoying little zappers. Those buggers would even the odds considerably. Maybe even tip the scales in his favor._

But Ben didn't appear to be carrying one on his person. It didn't seem like he wanted to fight Sawyer either. In fact, he was trying to calm himself down by taking deep breaths. _Maybe he's thinking of another strategy. Obviously physical threats aren't going to phase me. He's got something else up his sleeve. I know it._

After a moment of thought, Ben turned his gaze back to Sawyer who was still comfortably seated on his cot, his legs propped up and his hands behind his head.

"I will get to the bottom of this, but in the meantime, I strongly advise you to not go out on any more midnight capers. Your last visit cost her dearly."

His words caught Sawyer's attention immediately. _'Her' can only refer to one person: Kate._

He tried to keep his tone casual when he inquired what Ben's last comment meant, but knew he failed when a glint of victory reflected off of the malicious man's eyes. Like a common fool, Sawyer had shown Ben a vulnerability. He cursed himself for showing a weakness. _But I can't help it. I have a soft spot for the girl._

Now Ben had information he could use to his advantage. He knew that Sawyer cared for Kate, and the ex-con knew that was a dangerous thing. It was always the people he loved that got hurt; the people he was closest to that suffered the consequences of his actions. Sawyer tried to mentally prepare himself for what Ben was going to say, knowing that whatever it was, it was going to be bad.

Even after preparing himself, Sawyer was not ready for Ben's next words.

"The baby's dead. She lost it last night," he said simply, not sounding half as sad as he should have.

Sawyer quit playing it dumb; he was too angry to care if Ben knew he had visited Kate and Jack and how he had managed to do it.

"What the hell did you do to her?"

He leapt off the bed and advanced on Ben until the shorter man had his back against the wall near the door. He remained silent, but his lips twitched with the effort of not smiling.

_He's getting way too much pleasure watching me squirm. He knows he's getting under my skin. I can't let him. He might not even be telling me the truth._ Sawyer wanted to strangle him, and he clenched and unclenched his hands to keep himself from doing just that.

"You're lying. You just want to trick me into giving up my accomplice," he accused.

"Well I do want you to tell me who helped you, but I can assure you that I am not lying. She lost the baby."

"Why should I believe you? You don't have any proof that this actually happened. Until I have evidence…"

As he was speaking, Ben pulled out a little black tape recorder from his pant pocket. He pushed a button on the side and a staticy sound emitted from the hand-held device. Then the static gave way to crying. A woman was crying. Seconds later, Sawyer could distinguish Kate's faint voice. His heart fell to his feet as he listened to what she said.

_"It still hurts Jack," she said in a voice just above a whisper._

_"Where?" the doctor answered._

_"Where he kicked me."_

_A pause. "Has the bleeding stopped?"_

_"I think so."_

_"That's a good sign," Jack indicated. "It means you're on your way to healing."_

_"I'll never heal from this." _The conviction in her voice was torturous.

_"You will get better Kate. I promise. I know this is hard on you, but you_ will _pull through this. We'll get through it together."_

_Another, longer, pause followed his words._

_"I didn't even get a chance to think of a name for her," Kate admitted._

_"Maybe it's better that you didn't."_

_"Yeah…maybe," she concurred._

The conversation ended and Ben turned the tape recorder off and stuffed it back into his pocket. Then he commented, "I hope that gets you out of your state of denial."

Sawyer took a moment to recover from the unsettling news. But it only took him a moment to turn from miserable to furious.

"Tell me what you did to her!" he demanded, grabbing Ben's shirt and shaking him violently. The Other didn't react to his threat, but his smile brightened as he looked his aggressor dead in the eyes.

"_I _didn't do anything to her James. I didn't touch her."

Sawyer didn't believe him. Kate had said somebody had kicked her. Ben was the only man despicable enough to kick a pregnant woman, in his opinion. To do something like that a person had to be worse than the slime on the scum of the Earth. The man in front of him fit that description to a T.

"_You _should be the one with the guilty conscious."

Ben's comment caught him off guard. "Why should I feel…" he began.

"Because you're the reason the baby's dead. If it weren't for your little visit, we wouldn't have had to question her."

"You're lying. You did this to her on purpose. It has nothing to do with me!" He wished that he had more confidence in his statement.

"If you really believe that, you're more narrow-minded than I thought possible. This wouldn't have happened if you had just stayed were we told you to. Rebellion will end in failure James. So will an another attempt at escape."

Ben's words sent a chill down his spine. _Does he know about the plan? _Sawyer dismissed the thought. _No, he couldn't possibly know._

Ben's other statement caused him greater distress. _Am I responsible for the death of the baby?_ Struggling with his inner demons, he tried convince himself that he wasn't responsible. He lost that battle. A feeling that he was to blame for Kate's predicament took hold of him and wouldn't let go.

_Idiot!_ he screamed at himself. _If you hadn't been so careless this wouldn't have happened._ He let go of Ben and backed up, pulling at his hair like a madman.

Ben looked victorious. "As punishment for your transgressions, you will meet with her."

"Why?" he asked in a soft voice.

"We think that if you see her reactions to what you are going to tell her, you will think twice before doing anything rash again. You will inform her that my original plan is going to be put into motion."

"And that is?"

"She will go through with the artificial insemination. She will carry _my_ child. She has no choice." He paused, then added, "Do you know why she doesn't have a choice, James?"

Sawyer felt like he was five years old, being punished for stealing cookies from the cookie-jar. But this situation was much more serious. "Enlighten me," he said haughtily.

"Because _you_ took that choice away from her. She and Jack were going to have a beautiful baby girl through a normal conception, and now she will be forced to carry an unwanted child by a man she loathes."

"You bastard."

"What's better is that every time she thinks about being pregnant with my child, she will think of how it came to pass. Then her thoughts will turn to you. She'll only remember you with contempt and hatred. She will _despise_ you for what you did."

"You're wrong. She won't think that." _Unfortunately, he's probably right, _he thought to himself.

"We'll see, James. We'll see," Ben said as he exited the room.

Sawyer sank to the floor beside the door, banging his head off the wall in self-hatred. Then he ran his hands through his hair and cursed himself for his stupidity. The copy of _The Moon and Sixpence_ was laying beside him. He scooped it up and opened up to the page he left off on. The first sentence he read was: "A woman can forgive a man for the harm he does her...but she can never forgive him for the sacrifices he makes on her account".

The irony of the passage made him laugh spitefully. He snapped the book shut. Then he did something he hadn't done since he was a boy. He prayed. He prayed that Kate would forgive him and that somehow he could make things right. He didn't care what sacrifices he had to make.


	23. Chapter 23: A Meeting

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Kate meets with someone who can help her. This is another long chapter, but I hope you like it. The end might be stretching it a little, but it's the only thing I could think of. I don't know all the logistics of artifical insemmination. Please review! I love hearing back from everyone!_  
_

_Chapter 23: A Meeting_

Kate was still suffering from a mild depression three weeks after the tragic loss of her baby girl. Even though she was on a remote island in the middle of nowhere, locked up in a fake house with only one other person, she still didn't feel secluded enough. She wanted to be left completely alone; wanted to run and hide from civilization.

The first week she hadn't gotten out of bed at all, except when Jack had carried her into the bathroom for a nightly bubble bath. He had brought her meals on a tray too, so she could eat. But Kate hadn't been hungry. If Jack had not spoon-fed her like an infant, she probably wouldn't have eaten at all. In only a week, she lost all of the fifteen pounds she had gained during her pregnancy, and then some. Jack had worried about her health. She could have cared less.

By the second week Kate was out of bed and moving around. She felt a little better, a little stronger physically, but she refused to talk to anyone, even Jack. He had said that her silence wasn't healthy. She had known he was right, but still had refused to talk.

_Why do I care about this so much?_ she had asked herself. _I didn't even want the baby in the first place. I was forced to conceive a child. I should be happy that it's gone now._ But she hadn't been happy. Still wasn't. There was no denying the fact that she wanted to have Jack's child. She only wished it could have happened under more normal circumstances.

During the third week, she started to feel more like herself again. She still wasn't talking as much as she used to, but she had conversed with Jack a few times, generally about meaningless topics. They never said anything about the baby after that horrible and painful evening. Just thinking of her deceased child made her slip back into a reclusive state.

It was at the end of the third week, during such a relapse, that Kate finally broke through her depression. It wasn't because she had finally come to terms with what had happened though. It was Jack's doing.

Kate was lying on the bed, curled up under the warm blankets. For the better part of an hour she had been crying, although she had run out of tears long ago and all she could manage were silent sniffles. Jack entered the room; he seemed angry, but spoke in a gentle voice.

"Kate, you have to stop this."

She didn't answer, or even acknowledge, him.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself. You're going to make yourself sick. I know that this has been a horrible time for you. I know that you still hurt. But you need to let it go. You couldn't have done anything to save the baby."

Kate refused to answer him. Fresh tears appeared at the mention of her child.

Jack was becoming more agitated, but somehow he managed to keep his voice calm when he spoke. "You know, this has been hard on me too. I'm just as sad as you are but…I'm not letting it control me, Kate. I'm not letting the pain and the sorrow eat away at me."

He sat down on the bed and forced her to look him in the eyes by cupping her face in his hands. "I'm hurting as much as you are, Kate, yet I'm not wallowing in misery. Maybe I grieve differently than you, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm hurting. You have to be strong, Kate. You have to forget what happened. Look to the future."

"I'll never be able to forget her, Jack," Kate piped up.

"I'm not saying to forget the baby. God knows I won't. She'll always be with us--in our thoughts and in our hearts--but we don't have to dwell on what happened. It's not healthy to."

A long silence passed between the two of them. She knew that what Jack had said was true. She was hurting herself by staying silent, but she didn't want to talk about what had happened. She wasn't ready to move on. _Why can't he understand that? Why can't he just leave me alone?_

As if he could read her thoughts, Jack got up and walked over to the door leading to the living room. She didn't want him to leave without saying anything to him, but she couldn't think of anything positive to say.

"Like I said, Kate. You need to let this go."

"Sorry if I'm not as perfect as you," she replied rather harshly. She was about to apologize, but Jack cut her off. He seemed to shrug off her previous comment.

"I'm not perfect, but I know when enough is enough. You may not realize it, but you're killing yourself..." He paused, then mumbled as he was walking out of the door, "I'm here when you're ready to talk."

His words were what brought her out of her miserable trance. _He's right. I am killing myself. I shouldn't have let it go on for this long. It's okay to be sad, but when I start withering away, it's too much._

Five minutes later she emerged out of the bedroom in cleans jeans and a lightweight blue sweater. Jack had just set the table for dinner. The smell of pot-roast wafted through the air, and for the first time in three weeks she realized she was starving.

Jack didn't say anything as he dished out the food. Kate was the first to talk. They talked for the rest of the evening and, by the time they went to bed, Kate was feeling much better. She almost felt human again.

* * *

The following morning, an unwelcome visitor almost crushed her fragile and newly found happiness. Ben was on the other side of the door when Jack answered the doorbell. 

"I hope you're feeling better Kate," he said, and he almost sounded sincere. Almost.

"I am," she stated.

"Good," he responded, bobbing his head up and down.

"Is there something you wanted?" Jack asked, still holding the door open, indicating that Ben should leave if his visit wasn't important.

"Yes, actually. I'm going to be taking Kate to the examination room so Juliet can look her over. Make sure everything really is all healed up."

"I don't want to go," was her immediate response.

"I'm afraid you don't have much say in the matter."

"Kate, maybe it's best that you do go," Jack added gently. "I want a second opinion to make sure you've recovered."

"See, even the doctor thinks it's a good idea," Ben echoed.

She wanted to protest again, but knew that: one, she didn't really have a choice, just like Ben had said, and two, that it was a good idea to have someone give her a clean bill of health. Instead of protesting, she nodded her head in agreement.

"Wonderful," Ben exclaimed in a false voice. "Now, if you'll just slip on the blindfold my dear, we can be on our way."

_He's acting awful chipper all of a sudden, _Kate noticed. _Very abnormal._ But she did what she was told and pulled the potato sack over her head, effectively blocking her vision.

"I have a wheelchair so that you don't have to walk all the way to the examination room," Ben offered, as he guided her into the chair. His generosity and genial demeanor was more scary than relaxing. Kate didn't trust him for a minute.

"We'll be back shortly," Ben said over his shoulder to Jack as he wheeled Kate out of the room and closed the door.

The trip to the examination room seemed to be shorter than usual, but she attributed that to nerves. _Is Juliet only going to examine me? Or has she been ordered to do something else? Ben said that I was going to have to get pregnant again, as soon as I was able. _The thought of being pregnant again so soon caused her stomach to knot.

When they arrived, Ben stopped the wheelchair just inside of the door. The room was cold and she shivered from the change in temperature. She was glad she was wearing a sweater.

"I'll be back to collect you in half an hour." That was all Ben said before he closed and locked the door leading out of the room.

Kate sat motionless, not sure if she should remove the blindfold or not. She knew someone else was in the room watching her. She could feel them staring at her.

"Is someone there?" she asked to break the ice.

She didn't receive a response, but whoever was in the room stood up and walked over to her. That's when she knew it wasn't Juliet who was in the room with her. Whoever was in front of her smelled distinctly of man. _Who's in here?_

Fearing that Ben had left her with Cane or Jeremy, Kate's hand flew to the blindfold, wanting to rip it off to see what beast she was about to confront. She didn't want to be locked in a room with either one of Ben's henchman, afraid that if she was, she wouldn't come out alive.

But a strong hand prevented her from lifting the potato sack from her head. She froze, unable to react. The man's hand was firm, yet gentle. He wasn't trying to hurt her.

"First you have to promise not to tear my head off," a gruff voice said.

She knew that voice. She could have cried with joy. When she tried to tug off the blindfold again, he stopped her. "I want that promise first Freckles."

She didn't remember what he wanted a promise of, but gave it to him anyway so he would let her take off the itchy sack. Once she gave him her word, he removed the blindfold from her head for her and discarded in on the ground.

Kate surged forward, grabbing him around the neck and hugging him fiercely. "Sawyer, I'm so glad to see you," she exclaimed.

"Why? I thought you'd shunned me forever. I didn't think you ever wanted to see me again."

"Where did you get an idea like that?" she asked, bewildered. She didn't wait to hear his answer but moved onto a more important subject.

"Are you alright? They didn't beat you up or anything did they?" She stopped hugging him long enough to give him a once over, checking for any definitive signs that he had suffered injuries.

"I'm fine. I should be asking you the same thing. How are you holding up?"

"I was really depressed for a while, but I'm doing okay now," she said truthfully, then added, "I'm even better now that I can see you're alright."

"I'm glad to hear that you're doing better, but unfortunately, I have some bad news."

She should have known this was coming.

"And from that look, I think you already know what it's about," he remarked.

"Yeah, I think I do," she confirmed, "It has to do with Ben and having another baby, right?" He nodded and walked over to the cot that was on the opposite side of the room. Kate followed him and sat down beside him.

"So…he wants me and Jack to conceive another child? Is that it?"

"No, he doesn't want that. It's not going to be the Doc's baby this time Freckles."

Kate refused to think about Ben's original plan. There had to be another way. Another outlet. Then a thought popped into her head. Why had Ben arranged a meeting with Sawyer? Certainly Ben could have told her that she wouldn't be having Jack's baby again. And why had he allotted them thirty minutes to meet?

"If it's not Jack's baby, then…" she trailed off but gave him a meaningful look. She wasn't completely closed off from the idea of the baby being Sawyer's. Sure, she wanted it to be Jack's child more than anything, but she figured it would be better if Sawyer was the father rather than Ben.

Sawyer could see where her thoughts were headed. "Ah, Freckles. I'm flattered. I really am, but it ain't gonna happen. It's not in the plan."

"Oh," she said, her last hope gone.

"Although, I've always been a fan of plan Bs," he joked, wiggling his eyebrows at her and making her smile.

"I do not believe deviating from Mr. Linus's plan would be a very wise decision."

Both Sawyer and Kate glanced up to see Gregory standing in the doorway.

"Ben would be most…disappointed if things didn't go as he had wanted them to go," the German man observed.

"What are you doing here?" Sawyer asked.

"I was ordered to monitor your conversation. I am to make sure that you tell Kate everything that is going to happen to her."

"I already know what's going to happen," Kate assured the kind Other. "He doesn't have to tell me again."

"You may know what it is you are going to face, Ms. Austen, but Ben specifically ordered Mr. Ford to reiterate his original plan. Go ahead Mr. Ford." He nodded in Sawyer's direction.

"Well now that I have your permission," Sawyer muttered. "Look Kate. Nothing's changed. Plain and simple. Ben wants you to go through the artificial insemination. He would be the donor; the kid would be his. You don't have any choice. Since the first attempt failed, in a manner of speaking, you have to do what he says. And that's the long and the short of it."

The abrupt summary somehow didn't sound as bad as it had originally. Still she wasn't happy that Ben would be the father. _If only there was a way to change that one fact,_ she thought,_ I wouldn't mind going through the surgery, but I want Jack to be the father._ She said as much to Sawyer and Gregory, asking if there was any way Ben would relent on that aspect of the plan.

Sawyer shook his head slowly. "Afraid not Freckles."

She hadn't expected anything different. Leaning her head on Sawyer's shoulder, she thought about what she was going to tell Jack. He wasn't going to take this news well, but she had to tell him.

A beeping sound came from Gregory's direction. It was a pager. "Looks like your time is almost done here Ms. Austen. I suppose I can let the two of you have a moment alone before you have to leave." He turned to leave, but stopped at the door. "Oh, Mr. Ford, I nearly forgot. I brought this for you." He pulled out a small hardback book and held it up.

" _A Grief Observed_?" he asked. "Is that the one by C.S. Lewis?"

"Why yes, it is. I guess that means you've read it?"

"Yeah, but leave it on the table. Kate can take it with her when she leaves. I think she could find some helpful stuff in there," then he added to Kate, "It has a lot on how to deal with grief."

"Sawyer, that's sweet, but I don't think that…."

"I know you don't think you need it, but trust me it's a good book. It will really help you in the near future."

"Well, if you say so."

Gregory laid the book down on the table, then left.

"Kate, I have to ask you something before you leave," Sawyer said in a voice just above a whisper.

_He never calls me by name unless it's serious. _"Yeah?" she asked.

"Do you think you can find it in you to forgive me?"

"Forgive you for what?" she asked, confused.

"If I hadn't come to visit you, none of this would have happened. You would be happy, and you'd still have the baby."

"This wasn't your fault, Sawyer. It's not your fault I lost the baby."

"It is my fault. There's no other way I can see it. I'm to blame. If it wasn't for my stupidity, you're kid would still be alive."

"Don't blame yourself when it isn't your fault," Kate chastised. "I think you have a twisted idea of what happened that night," she said, then quickly told him what had really happened.

"I'm gonna fuckin' kill that son of a bitch," he swore vehemently.

"As much as I would appreciate that," she said in a calmer voice, "I don't want you to do anything that would cause you to suffer. I don't think Ben would like it much if you killed Cane."

"Yes, you'd be punished very harshly if you killed Cane. He's my go-to man." Ben said as he entered the room. "It's time to go Kate."

She and Sawyer stood up simultaneously. Before she walked away he captured her in a goodbye hug. As he leaned in, he whispered, "Don't open the book until you get back to your bedroom," into her ear. Then he pulled away and kissed her on each cheek.

His statement confused her, but she smiled to cover the look of perplexity on her face. Saying a final goodbye to Sawyer, she pulled the potato sack over her head and sat down in the wheelchair so Ben could take her back to her holding area.

After Ben had dropped her off and left, Kate walked straight to the bedroom, ignoring Jack's greeting. He followed her.

"Alex came by and told me that Ben is going back to his original plan. We don't have any choice. I'm sorry Kate. There was nothing I could do," he stated.

"Uh-huh," she said, too busy opening the book Sawyer had given her to focus on what Jack was saying.

_Oh my God, Sawyer I love you! _she silently exclaimed as she glanced down at the gift he had given her.

The inside of the book had been cut out and a small plastic tube and a note were inside. The note read:

_Kate,_

_If this baby is going to be anyone's, it's going to be Jack's. I can't stand the thought of your kid being related to that bastard, Ben._

_I think you get the gist of what the tube is for. It's for the Doc's swimmers so he can swap them with Ben's when he has to do the procedure._

_Hope everything goes alright. Tell the Doc he better take good care of you. If he doesn't I'm going to beat his ass._

_Good luck Freckles,_

_Sawyer_

She wasn't sure how he had managed to sneak the plastic tube and the note past Ben and all of the other Others. But she was happy that he had. She showed the secret compartment and its contents to Jack.

"Well how did he do that?" he asked.

"I don't know, but I sure am glad he did," she answered. "Do you know what this means Jack?"

"Yeah, we're going to have a baby," he said smiling. Kate grinned from ear to ear, silently thanking and blessing Sawyer.


	24. Chapter 24: A Name

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

* * *

_Chapter 24: A Name_

Kate had been pregnant forever. _Well, it certainly feels that way_, she thought.

She had gone through everything that a seven-month pregnant woman experienced; the morning sickness, the back pain, the stretch marks. But instead of going through these experiences like any normal seven-month pregnant woman, she had sped through them all in two months.

Still, even with all of the side effects, she was happy and content. She was pregnant with Jack's baby. He had successfully switched the donor tubes during the artificial insemination and had disposed of Ben's sample shortly after the surgery was over. The day after the procedure, Kate and Jack were told she was, indeed, pregnant again.

Although this time she was carrying a baby boy. She still hadn't named him, afraid that if she did so, she would jinx the pregnancy. _That's a silly reason not to name the child. Maybe I should just let go of my superstition and name him._ Even after she decided to do just that, she couldn't think of any good names.

"Are you ready to go yet?" Jack called from the living room, causing Kate to snap out of her reflection of the past two months.

"Not yet. I can't find my shoes. Have you seen them?" she answered, looking under the bed for the fifth time for her comfortable tennis shoes. Just like the previous four times, there was nothing under the bed but dust.

"Here they are," he said walking into the bedroom, tennis shoes in hand. "Come on, we're going to be late for your check-up. Don't you know it's rude to be late for your appointments?" He always took on a no-nonsense attitude whenever it came to her check-up appointments.

"It's not like we have some important place to be afterward. We're just going to come back here once it's over. I think we can afford to be five minutes late." Her tone was mocking, but she smiled at him to show she was joking.

"Bert and Gregory are already here to escort us. They're waiting in the living room." He was bouncing on the balls of his feet, a sure sign that he was getting antsy.

"And they can continue to wait until I am ready. I'm the pregnant woman here, and they can't run any tests without me. I just have to put my shoes on."

She took her shoes out of his hands and sat down on the edge of the bed. Taking her time to further irritate Jack, she unlaced the shoes before bending over to tie them. When she did reach for her feet she swore loudly and jumped up.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no…" she muttered to herself as she attempted to see her feet.

"What is it?" Jack asked, also looking at her feet in an effort to figure out what was wrong. Kate was bending every way humanly possible to look at her feet.

"Jack, we have a dilemma. I can't see my feet." She was completely serious when she made the statement. That's why she got angry when Jack started to chuckle.

"This is not funny. How can you laugh at a time like this? I can't touch my toes. How am I supposed to tie my shoes?"

His laughter died away, but his voice was filled with mirth when he spoke. "What do you expect? You're pregnant Kate. It's natural to not be able to see your feet. There's nothing you can do to stop it."

She groaned as she sat back down on the bed. "I hate this. I've never been this fat in my life. I can't stand it! I can't sit in a chair correctly, my clothes don't fit, I look like an ugly cow, my feet are swollen, and now I can't even see them. This is horrible."

He sat down on the bed and put a consoling arm around her shoulders.

"You're overacting. Everything you're experiencing is normal for your stage of pregnancy. How do you think other mothers who are seven and a half month's pregnant feel?"

"The same way I do. Like beached whale," she replied.

He laughed again, but ceased when she glared at him. "I think you look wonderful. You're not fat. The extra fluff is there to show you're helping another human being come to life. It's a very beautiful thing."

His words made her feel a little better and she tried to smile. Only a man who truly loved her could make her feel attractive when she felt the total opposite. She leaned against his chest, faintly aware of the rising and falling motion each breath caused. _What would I do without him? _

"We really need to get going," he whispered against the top of her head a few moments later.

She knew he was right. With a pathetic expression on her face, she held up her tennis shoes. "What about these?"

"I'll put them on for you," he said laughing. Slipping them on easily, he tied them quickly and hauled her to her feet.

Hand in hand they walked into the living room, grinning at each other.

"About time you showed up," Bert remarked, turning toward the door.

"Patience, Bert, patience," Gregory stated as he approached the smiling pair. "We are in no hurry. It only matters that Ms. Austen have her check-up at some point today. If this is an inconvenient time, Ms. Austen, we can come back later."

Casting an I-told-you-so look at Jack she smiled at Gregory. "Oh no, this is just as good a time as any. I have nothing to do. Let's go." She tugged on Jack's hand and they walked to the front door with the German Other close by. At the door, Bert handed each of them a brown gunnysack.

"I'm pleased to inform you that this is the last time you will have to wear this retched thing Ms. Austen. Since you have passed your test, you are now free to see everything we have to offer," Gregory announced as she slipped the sack over her head.

"Why do I have to wear it today then?" she asked.

"There are a few projects we have going on right now that need to be handled delicately. Since Jack does not have the privilege of knowing our secrets yet, we can't let either of you see them. We trust you, Ms. Austen, but we're not stupid. We know that you would disclose any information you gain on our walk to Jack."

He had guessed her idea before she had the time to think it through. _Oh well, so much for my plan. _Securely blindfolded, they were led down the hallway; Bert guiding Jack and Gregory leading Kate.

They took the same route they always did. No one talked during the trips to thr doctor, coming or going; however, the silence was more comfortable than awkward. The two different parties had nothing to discuss with one another, and all of them accepted that.

Kate was relieved to sit down on the hospital bed once they arrived. The walk had tired her out. Even though she had been in shape before, she found it laborious to walk the quarter mile to the check-up location. Not wanting to admit that she was winded, she regulated her breathing so no one would become suspicious. She didn't want Jack to think she having trouble walking the short distance.

"Hello," Juliet said in greeting as she entered the room. "How are you doing today?"

"Just fine," Kate replied.

"Wonderful."

Juliet wasted no time in starting the examination. She took Kate's blood pressure and then warmed the stethoscope with her hand before placing it on Kate's chest and instructing her to breathe deeply. "Has he been kicking regularly?"

"Yes. He's going to be quite a swimmer if you ask me," she answered, placing a hand on her stomach.

"Sounds like he'll be a strong and healthy little boy. That's good to hear." She handed her a urine sample cup. "The bathroom's open."

Kate did her business and returned to the exam room. Alex was waiting to take the sample for testing. Kate lay down on the hospital bed, ready for the next part of her examination: the ultrasound.

Juliet applied the clear medical jelly on her abdomen and turned the machine on. Jack stood up from where he was sitting and came over to watch the screen. Clasping her hand, he gave it a little squeeze to show his support. Juliet moved the ultrasound wand across her stomach, trying to locate the baby.

"There he is," she said, smiling as she looked at the monitor. "He looks like he's developing nicely. He still has a ways to go in the organ department, but he's got all ten fingers and toes.

"I'd say in another two to three weeks time, his little heart will be complete and then all we'll just have to wait for is the lungs to develop."

"He's adorable," Kate whispered. She smiled warmly as she looked at the tiny life that was inside of her.

"Yes, he is adorable," Jack echoed.

"Have you been thinking of a name?" Juliet asked as she began to wipe off the ultrasound jelly.

Kate shook her head. "No we haven't given it any thought. Of course, I have some favorites," she lied, her mind racing to try and think of some. "But I haven't discussed them with Jack yet," she added to stall for time.

"What did you have in mind?" he inquired. _Damn. Why does he have to know right this instant?_

"Well," she started, "I've always liked the name Dominic. But Eric is another contender."

"I like Dominic," Jack agreed. "What do you think about Dimitri? It's a family name…well kinda."

"Isn't that a Russian name?" she asked, confused.

"Yeah. I know, I'm not Russian. But when I was a kid, I had this Uncle Dimitri who married my dad's sister. He was the most amazing guy I'd ever known. He was a fighter pilot in the Air Force. Always promised me he'd take me flying someday. Unfortunately, he died of a heart attack when I was eight. He wasn't really blood family, but some bonds are thicker than blood, you know? I always used to wish he were my dad."

His little story let her have a glimpse into his past, and she was honored that he would share that story with her.

"I like Dimitri too. How about Dimitri Dominic Shepard?"

"It has a certain ring to it." The smile on his face was contagious and she grinned along with him.

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**Author's Note:** I know the name's kind of strange. But it was one of the first names that popped into my head and I liked it. This is going to be the last cutesy chapter. The rest is basically all drama from here on out. Hope you liked it. Please review!  



	25. Chapter 25: A Scary Situation

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

* * *

**Author's Note:** This chapter might seem a little strange and far-fetched, but I promise it will be explained in the next section. There are only ten chapters left after this one. Just thought I'd let you know. Enjoy chapter 25! Don't forget to review! I'd love to here predictions of what you think is going to happen. :)

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_ Chapter 25: A Scary Situation_

A day after her weekly steroid injection to speed up her gestation period, Kate awoke in the middle of the night. She was drenched in cold sweat and she was shivering. Testing the warmth of her forehead revealed that she had a fever.

Without waking Jack, she slipped out from underneath the covers and went to the bathroom. As soon as she stood up she felt nauseous. Concerned she was getting sick, she rummaged through the medicine cabinet, looking for anything that would help her symptoms. There was nothing that would help her; only some aspirin and a few sleeping pills that the Others had insisted Jack take to get more rest. He had stopped taking them after a few days.

Ending her fruitless search she returned to the bedroom. She couldn't help notice how peaceful Jack looked while he was sleeping. He had been wearing himself out lately, attending to her every need.

_Not that I wanted him to,_ she recalled. _I was perfectly capable of setting the dinner table, and running the vacuum, and getting a book from the top shelf. I may be pregnant, but I'm not completely helpless. _

Still, he was concerned that any strenuous, or even too much, movement could jeopardize her and the baby. Although she tried to protest his argument, he explained that since she was not having a normal pregnancy that there were additional risks, and he would rather not take any chances. Thinking about his ravings that she was not supposed to even try and tie her shoes made her smile in the moonlit room. He was overbearing and fretful at times, but in a cute way.

Kate silently walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, looking for something to snack on to settle her stomach. Absentmindedly she reached for the pickle jar, her latest strange craving. _Better than sauerkraut I suppose._ The lid was difficult to unscrew, but after some struggling and swearing, it opened with an audible _pop_. Ignoring the actual pickles she took a swig of the juice instead. _Disgusting in theory, but oddly satisfying,_ she thought. She recapped the jar and put it back on the second shelf.

As soon as she turned around she gagged and vomited on the tile floor. The reaction was unexpected and fierce, causing Kate to drop to the floor, her knees shaking too much to hold her up. _That's never happened before. Then again, I guess I kinda deserved it. I should have known better than to drink pickle juice when I had an upset stomach. Way to go Kate, you're a genius. _

She stood up, swished her mouth with water, and got a towel to clean up the mess. Her hand was shaky when she bent to wipe it up. It was only then that she realized that her whole body was trembling, and it wasn't from the after effects of vomiting. She couldn't stop the reaction.

When Kate looked at the towel she noticed something else. There was blood. Quite a bit of blood. Now she was worried. Dropping the towel she went into the bedroom. As much as she hated to do it, she woke Jack up.

"Jack," she said, touching his shoulder in an attempt to wake him. Her voice was quivering and she felt dizzy. _These symptoms are coming really quickly. This can't be normal. _

"Jack!" she called more urgently.

His eyes snapped open. Seeing her there made him jump to attention. He sat up on the side of the bed and held her up by the arms.

"Kate, what happened? You look sick. What's wrong?" Feeling her forehead he swore and stood up, making her lay down on the bed.

"There's blood."

"Blood? How many fingers am I holding up? Blood where?"

"Yes blood. Two. In my puke. It's on the kitchen floor. I didn't get a chance to clean it all up."

"That's okay," he assured her as he checked her eyes. "Two fingers? That's what you saw?"

"Yes."

"We need to get you to a hospital."

"You _are_ the hospital here Jack."

He let out a short laugh, but knew that she was right. "True, but I need to get you somewhere that I can actually treat you, or at least find out what's wrong. Stay here," he ordered. Kate didn't think she needed to be told what to do; she obviously wasn't going anywhere at the moment.

She could hear him yelling in the next room. "I need someone to get down here to transport Kate to the hospital wing. Now! She's sick. I don't know what's wrong yet, but it doesn't look good."

Even though she was laying down, Kate felt faint. She didn't want to black out though. Jack needed to know what happened to her so he could figure out what was going on. He couldn't do that if she was unconscious.

A stab of intense pain in her abdomen easily made her forget about fainting.

The front door opened and a moment later Jack appeared in the doorway with Jeremy, Cane, and Juliet. They also had a makeshift gurney with them. Kate tried to sit up, but her body was racked with another intense pain. She was also having difficulty breathing.

Jeremy and Cane carefully lifted Kate from the bed and strapped her onto the gurney. When the next pain shot through her body she cried out in agony, gritting her teeth to try and control the urge to out right scream. The impromptu EMTs wheeled her out into the living room, passing Jack and Juliet who were in the middle of an argument.

"I'm not wearing it," he said, pointing to the sack that had become a staple of moving from one area to another. "I need to see her while she's being transferred so I know she's okay."

"You haven't passed your test yet, and you can't…"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I need to pass the test before you can trust me. Listen, I'm not wearing it. I don't want anything to happen to her." He turned to follow Kate's gurney out of the room.

"If you refuse to wear it, you can't come with us; meaning, you won't be able to treat Kate. Do you really want to risk her well-being?"

"I'm not the one risking her well-being. You…"

"Just put the damn thing on Jack and get your ass moving!" Kate all but yelled as her abdominal pain intensified. "I don't want anyone else touching me. Suck it up for five minutes. I'll be fine 'til we get there. Promise."

Now she really felt like she was going to pass out. She was nauseous again, but she figured she didn't have enough content in her stomach to produce any vomit.

Still reluctant and angry, Jack grabbed the sack from Juliet and put it on. Kate tried to focus on her breathing as she was being wheeled through the hallways of the complex. It suddenly dawned on her that she wasn't being forced to wear a sack on her head. _One of the perks of passing that test I guess._

The walls of the narrow corridors were bare and made out of cement. The top of the hallway was rounded, making it seem even more like an underground tunnel. Lights were sparse, casting dim shadows on the walls as the group rushed forward.

For a moment her vision went completely dark and she thought that the lights had turned out. When it returned she glanced up at Cane and Jeremy. Neither seemed to think anything out of the ordinary had happened. _Did I just imagine that? _she wondered.

They turned left into another tunnel that was identical to the previous one, except for the sign hanging down from the ceiling that read: Hospital Wing.

"You can take that off now," Juliet said to Jack as they entered a room that had a hospital bed and monitors inside. It was a different room than her weekly examination room. Jack yanked the sack off his head and let it drop to the floor in his haste to get to Kate.

In no time at all she was hooked up to more monitors than she could see since some were out of her peripheral vision. After she told Jack her list of ailments, he immediately began issuing orders while giving her an examination. His hands were warm when they pressed on her stomach. She gasped when he pushed on her upper abdomen.

"That hurts?" he said, his expression stoic.

She nodded. "A lot."

"That's odd."

"You don't think something is wrong with the baby do you?"

"I'm not sure. That was the location of your weekly shot, yet there's no sign of anything unordinary." His cryptic answer wasn't what she wanted to hear.

A strange and frightening sensation, starting at her feet, worked its way up her body. At first the feeling was nothing more than her foot falling asleep, but as it reached her hips it started to become agonizing. It was moving faster up her torso, engulfing her entire body in mind-numbing pain. By the time Jack reacted her whole body was shaking uncontrollably.

"Oh God…She's having a seizure!" he yelled.


	26. Chapter 26: A Tight Schedule

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Unfortunately this is the only chapter I will be able to upload for the next few days. I have a lot of schoolwork to do and tests to study for. But I _promise_ that all of the chapters will be up by Friday. You've probably heard that promise before from other people, but I truly mean it! Anyway, enough of the promises, let's get to chapter 26 and find out exactly what's wrong with Kate and the baby! Enjoy!

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_ Chapter 26: A Tight Schedule_

Kate awoke to the sound of angry voices arguing at the foot of her hospital bed. Not wanting to lose the chance to eavesdrop, she kept her eyes closed and tried to slow her breathing. The two contenders didn't seem to notice she was listening.

"You're all fucking crazy! I'm not going to do that to her. There's no way. I won't risk her life like that!"

"Jack, calm down. Unless you can think of another way to save them both, it's the only way."

"Why can't we just start over? It's easy enough to make a baby."

"I know that it's the safest way…" the female voice conceded.

"It's the only way as far as I'm concerned."

"We need that baby Jack. If you don't do it, they'll just kill you and put me in charge. Sure, I'm a doctor, but I'm not you Jack. You have a lot more experience."

"I'm a spinal surgeon. I only have a meager knowledge of the procedure. I've only seen it done once. What you're asking me to do is kill her. I won't do that."

"I'm sorry you feel that way. You know, we have medical journals that you could study from before you have to perform the procedure."

"I wouldn't have enough time! There's only a small window of opportunity to save them both."

"You're sure there's no way to save both without…"

"No. It isn't possible. If she continues in this way, she'll die. Probably the baby too. If I deliver the baby now, it would be premature, and it's chances of survival would be slim. It's one or the other. Kate can always have another baby. Just give her some time to heal, and in another three months you'll have a healthy baby."

"It doesn't work that way Jack. We don't have the time. We have a deadline to meet. We've already had to postpone once. We need that baby, and we're getting it one way or another. It's up to you if you want to try and save her as well. If it's only me going ahead with the procedure, I can't give you a very optimistic outlook."

"I can't do what you're asking me to do." His voice sounded angry, but there was also a desperate quality to the way the statement was said.

"There's no way I could change your mind? You won't help us save the baby if it would mean putting Kate's health in jeopardy?"

"I would never do anything that could potentially harm her." There was a long lull in conversation.

Kate imagined the looks on the faces of the speakers. Jack's face was dark and angry. Juliet wore an unreadable expression. She was just beginning to think they wouldn't converse again when Juliet spoke up.

"Jack, I'm sorry to inform you that you've failed Ben's test." She said it in a very nonchalant way.

"What?" He sounded perplexed.

"You failed to show dedication to the project."

"So, to pass this test I had to put the experimental baby before Kate's well-being?" Jack asked, his tone incredulous.

"Essentially, yes," Juliet replied. "Ben set up tests for each of you, something to test your loyalty to the project. Kate chose to stay here even after she was given the option of leaving; therefore, she passed. You; however, have failed the test. I'm sorry."

"And what exactly is going to happen now that I've failed this test?"

"That's not important now. Kate's awake. Go to her. You will suffer the consequences of your decision at a later time. Right now, she needs you." 

"Juliet, you weren't supposed to let him off the hook that easily. We're supposed to take him to Ben right away." Kate hadn't realized there was a third person in the room until that moment.

"Hush, Cane. We're not animals here. We know that these people have feelings just like we do. He needs to see her right now, almost as much as she needs him. We can give them a few moments alone together."

Kate let her eyes flicker open. _Did Juliet see through my act from the beginning? Did she know I was listening to what they were saying?_

"Kate," Jack said, taking hold of her hand and kissing it. "You nearly gave me a heart attack when you started having a seizure. Are you feeling better?"

"A little I guess. What happened? Did you find out what's wrong with me?"

"Yes," he said solemnly.

"Well?"

He didn't drag out his response. "You have a condition called preeclampsia. You might know it as toxemia. You have an extremely severe case."

Millions of questions swarmed into her mind all at once. "I've never heard of it. What does that mean? Where did it come from?"

"I think that it came from the experimental steroid you've been repeatedly injected with. I'm not sure why you're having this reaction now though. Maybe the last injection was just a bad dose." He stopped voicing his theory and focused on tell her what her condition meant.

"Preeclampsia means that you have high blood pressure and high amounts of protein in your urine. It's a dangerous situation for you and the baby. It's what caused your seizure. It was also the source of the abdominal pain you were suffering.

"Normally this wouldn't be a big deal. We would just deliver the baby prematurely, but since this baby is developing at an abnormal rate, it would be hard to judge if all the organs are developed yet, especially the heart and lungs. If we delivered it without knowing, it could result in the death of the baby."

He was all business at the moment. Kate felt uncomfortable being his patient. His personality now wasn't what she knew it to be.

"Can't I just carry the baby until the due date?" she asked.

"If you did that, you would be risking your health. Your blood vessels are constricted, which means you have less blood in circulation. You also have high blood pressure. If you were to proceed with the pregnancy as scheduled you could have another, more severe, seizure, kidney failure, or even brain damage. There's a possibility that you would die."

"Then what are we going to do? I have to carry the baby, don't I?" She was hoping that he would tell her differently, but she had no such luck.

"Yes, the Others are forcing you to carry full term. They don't care about the risks you face. They want me to…" he trailed off.

"What?" She could tell he didn't want to answer her.

"They want me to try to…put you in an induced coma. Basically in a vegetative state."

"Why? Would that help? Would it save the baby and not hurt me?"

He shook his head slowly. "I'm not certain. Personally, I think they just want to use you as a human incubator. You would just be lying in a hospital bed until the baby was developed enough to be delivered. You would be in the coma for at least three weeks. Maybe more.

"The longer you're induced, the less chance there is of waking up. Not to mention you would still have high blood pressure and poor blood flow, increasing your risk of death."

"I see." There was nothing else she could say. The news was detrimental. She felt her world spiraling out of control, slipping away along with her right to choose whether she lived or died. She was at the complete mercy of these strange people; people who didn't seem to have any moral system.

"I've tried to convince them that what they are doing is wrong, and there is a chance that the baby will go through complications as well. Still, they won't budge on their decision. And there's one more thing," he added.

"And that is?"

"I failed Ben's test."

"I heard."

He gave her a quizzical look at her comment but continued, "Apparently I was supposed to openly agree to risk your life to save some experimental baby. I refused to do that."

"How would Ben know that I was going to get sick? How would he know that you would have to eventually make that choice?"

They sat in silence for a long moment, not wanting to say what they were both suddenly thinking. Kate was the first to speak.

"You don't think that he could have done something to the steroid to make this happen, do you?"

"I wouldn't put it beneath him. Maybe that wasn't even the normal steroid. Maybe it was a different drug altogether." He sighed, rubbing his hand across his eyes. He seemed really tired. "I really don't know."

"What do you think they are going to do to you?" she asked quietly, worried that they would be separated or that the Others would hurt him.

"I don't know. Juliet said that I would receive my punishment later. But, whatever happens, I want you to know that I love you and our baby."

"We love you too," she said smiling somberly.

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**Another Author Note: **In case you were wondering, preeclampsia is a real condition. I looked it up. Hope you liked the chapter! Please review! 


	27. Chapter 27: A Long Nap

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

* * *

**Author's Note: **New chapters, just as I promised! Hope you like them. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I really appreciate it. Tell me what you think about the new chapters.

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_Chapter 27: A Long Nap_

That night, Juliet, with Jack standing close behind her, injected Kate with a mind numbing drug. Her vision became hazy and she had a sudden need to stay awake. _I'll never wake up. I'll be like this forever. I'll never see Jack again. Or my baby. I can't do this!_

She tried to fight the effects of the drug, struggled to keep her eyes open. Thinking it would help her to wake up, she sat up. Juliet immediately pushed her back down, although gently.

"Calm down Kate. Take deep breaths. Relaaaaaaax." Her smile was sweet to the observer but Kate knew an evil was hidden behind her toothy grin. She never should have trusted these people. She shouldn't have let them use her like a pawn. _Stupid!_ she screamed at herself.

Panicking, she tried to shake the feeling of drowsiness from her head. Jack came closer, standing practically on top of Juliet.

"She's fighting the drugs Jack. I don't know what to do."

"Up the dosage. She won't be able to fight much longer. She's a strong woman, but she's not _superwoman_. She'll sleep soon enough." His tone left Kate feeling as though she was being betrayed.

"Jack, don't do this to me…" she said managing to keep her slurred words to a minimum. "Make it stop."

"I can't do that Kate. This is what's best for you…for everyone." She didn't understand what he meant. Then she saw him smile at Juliet. It was the same smile that she had woken up to every morning for the past few months. A loving, knowing smile that had sent shivers down her back and had made her smile as well. Now Juliet was the recipient of that smile.

Appalled, she tried to yell at him to stop, but her mouth felt like it was full of cotton. Not able to speak, she could not get Jack to stop smiling at the blonde doctor. Yet, she couldn't look away. She was slipping away into the realm of unconsciousness, and her last thought was of her lover being with another woman.

_No, no, no! _she cried. "You can't do this to me Jack! I thought you loved me! No!"

"Kate, wake up," Jack's voice was calm and soothing; the hand he placed on her shoulder was warm.

It had only been a dream. More like a horrid nightmare. She was panting and she could feel the tears streaming sideways out of her eyes, dropping onto her ears. None of what she had envisioned was true, and yet her nightmares had never been more real. She had actually thought she could feel the needle going into her arm, sense the heavy sleep that had tried to overpower her body.

It was the first nightmare she'd had in years. She did dream, but those visions were never important or threatening in manner. Half of the time, she didn't even remember them the next morning. This one had left her shaken and afraid. She couldn't get rid of the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

"It's alright Kate. It was only a nightmare. You're okay."

"Only a nightmare," she echoed. _No, I think it was much more than a nightmare. It was a glimpse of what's going to happen if I let them put me to sleep. I'll never wake up. And Jack…he'll be with Juliet. No, I can't let them put me to sleep. I can't let that happen._

"It's good that you woke up though. I need to check your vitals again, just to make sure everything's working correctly. There's only a few hours before you are put in the coma, so if you need to do anything—write a letter perhaps—then you'd better do it now."

After he knew she had calmed down, he started going on about the upcoming procedure as though it was something normal. His nonchalant tone didn't help to quell Kate's fears.

"I can't go through with this Jack."

"Excuse me?" He looked up from his clipboard, a confused expression on his face.

"I can't have you put me in a coma. I know I won't come out of it. I'll never see you again, and then you'll be with her. I'll die if you do this to me."

He was hung up on the reference to the blonde doctor. "Her? Her who? What is this all about Kate?"

"Juliet. If I go to sleep you'll love her, not me."

"I could never love anyone but you," he assured her, sitting down on her bed and clasping her hand. "Why are you so worried all of a sudden? Does it have something to do with your dream?"

"Nightmare," she corrected, but didn't say anything further on the subject. "I hate to admit this Jack, but I'm afraid. I don't want to do this anymore. I have a bad feeling about it."

Jack sighed at her confession like he knew what she was talking about; like he was experiencing the same thing. _If he didn't think it was safe, he wouldn't be doing it_, she told herself.

"It's natural to feel nervous. This procedure has never been performed in this type of situation, to my knowledge at least. It could go smoothly and be over before you know it, or it could be a bumpy road. There's really no way to determine what is going to happen. But, I want you to keep thinking positive," he added, softening the blow to her confidence.

"It's the patients that believe they're going to survive that actually do. It's the patients that keep talking and trying that push through. The one's that give up…well, they don't make it. Promise me that you won't give up Kate." His brown eyes turned serious and bored into hers, daring her to lie to him or tell him that she was a quitter.

"I promise," she swore. "But you have to promise me something too."

"Anything."

"No matter what happens to me, you won't fall in love with Juliet."

He was slightly taken aback by her request. "I could never love Juliet. Kate I only love _you. _Promise."

His serious tone comforted her considerably. _Jack would never betray me,_ she said to herself. The more she repeated it in her mind, the more she believed it. _No, he'd never be with Juliet. He loves me._

"I have to go make a few last minute preparations. Just relax. Everything is going to be fine." Leaving her with a kiss, he exited the room.

Kate took his advice and wrote a letter to him on the notepad on the nightstand by her bed. The pages were small, and by the time she had finished writing, she had used seven pages. Not having anything else to do, she picked up her crocheting needles, yarn, and partially finished booty.

By the time Jack and Juliet returned, the procedure was on the back burner of her mind. She had also finished one booty and was working on its twin. She looked up when the pair entered.

"It's time," Jack stated. "Are you ready?"

"Do I really have a choice?"

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**Another Author's Note: **Just wanted to clarify that the first part of this chapter is a dream sequence. This chapter was kinda boring, but don't worry. It will get more interesting! Please R&R! 


	28. Chapter 28: A Nightmare

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

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**Author's Note: **Here's another chapter. There is a longer, more disturbing, dream in this chapter. The only thing I have to say about the dream is don't take it too literally. It might not necessarily come true. :) Enjoy! Review, review, review!

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_Chapter 28: A Nightmare_

Kate's eyes began moving when Juliet flashed a hand-held light into them. Trying to shake the brightness from her vision, she blinked rapidly. Then she looked around her. Juliet was standing out of her visual range. She attempted to move her head to the side, but was unable to complete the small movement.

_Paralyzed,_ she thought. _I can't move at all. I must be in a vegetative state now, but why can I still see things and comprehend what's going on. Shouldn't my brain be asleep right now?_

"Responds rapidly to light. Eyes even seem to focus in on some objects, as if the patient recalls what they are. Interesting," Juliet muttered into a tape recorder.

Kate didn't find this development interesting. Not interesting at all. It was scary as hell. Dread coiled in the pit of her stomach, and sweat began to collect on her forehead. Or at least that's what she imagined was occuring since she couldn't actually feel it happening. Juliet was shuffling through some papers, and after a few silent moments, she left, her long blonde ponytail swishing as she walked.

_What am I going to do?_ Kate thought. _Lay here for a month? Not able to talk, or move, or have any say in what's happening to the baby or me? The baby!_ She felt her eyes widen in panic. Apparently they were the only part of her body she had control over.

_Is the baby okay? _She tried to focus her attention on her swollen abdomen. As if the baby, little Dimitri, could hear her, he kicked the walls of his watery prison. Kate didn't feel the kick, but saw her stomach twitch.

Kate thought she would cry with relief, and then wondered if it was even possible for her to do. She blinked rapidly and looked up at the ceiling. Closing her eyes she sent up a prayer to God, thanking him for the baby's good health and asking that he continue to look after her and her child.

Sleep overtook her once more and she slipped into another dark and ominous dream.

Her stomach was flat again, meaning that she had delivered the baby. Yet there was no trace of the child. Fear buried itself in her heart, and she began to race down the corridors of the hospital wing looking for her missing child.

All of the corridors were empty; the lights dim or completely out. The feeling of terror grew so great that she thought she might collapse. Then, as she was turning to go down another dead-end hallway she glimpsed Jack out of the corner of her eye.

He was wearing blue scrubs, complete with white surgical gloves. Her anxiety rose to a new level as she noticed the crimson blood staining the gloves. His expression was blank, but he held his arms out as if he were praying; his elbows bent slightly and his palms turned up. But instead of looking up, his cold gaze was directed at her.

"Jack!" she cried out as she began to run toward him. The hallway seemed to elongate, lengthening more with each step she took.

"I couldn't stop them. Too late. All my fault." He muttered the words over and over again as if in a trance. Before she could reach him, he turned to the right and disappeared through a doorway.

When Kate did catch up to him, she found the door was barred. "What have you done to Dimitri? What have you done to our son?" she screamed, fury, frustration, and fear all fighting to be expressed at once.

Suddenly, a light illuminated a window in the room Jack had entered. The horrid sight she saw was too much to take, but she could not rip her awestruck eyes away from the ghastly spectacle.

There, lying on the table was her newborn child…lifeless. In fact, there was not much left of him. Numerous, faceless, people bustled about the small, well-lit room. Some were carrying dismembered body parts, others were labeling test tubes, and others were recording what was transpiring, on paper, tape recorder, and video camera.

In the middle of all the mayhem, Kate saw Jack. His arms still held out as if in prayer, his eyes staring at her with a look of sorrow and regret. Although she couldn't actually hear him, she knew what his lips were mouthing.

"I'm sorry," they mimed, "I couldn't stop them. I tried. Forgive me, I tried."

She didn't know what he was talking about, but she could not forgive him, would not. Pivoting, she looked for anything around her that she could use as a weapon to somehow break the barrier between her and her dead child… and the man who had failed her in some unknown way. She found a heavy wooden chair that would suffice her needs and hurled it at the glass. It shattered on impact.

Leaping through the broken shards, she hardly noticed the pieces of glass imbedding themselves in her bare feet as she went to her baby. Surprisingly, all of the faceless doctors in the room moved out of her way, not impeding her determined plan to take what was left of her lifeless baby and flee.

They cleared away from the table, but after they dispersed, Kate found the stainless steel table empty. Not even a trace of blood was visible. She panicked and demanded the closest nurse to give her Dimitri.

The nurse responded by shrugging her shoulders, as if she didn't know what Kate was talking about. Before she could slap the woman silly, her name was whispered from behind her. She didn't recognize the soft voice, but when she turned she gasped.

Sawyer was standing there. In his hand was a blue bundle, wrapped with care. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw it wiggle. _It can't be. He's alive?_ Her hope soared as the bundle moved again. She stepped up to Sawyer, holding her arms out to take the baby into her embrace.

Then her foot stepped on something. Something human. She glanced down where Jack lay at her feet. He was clearly unconscious, but blood leaked from a bloody gash in his chest.

Ignoring her baby, she bent down to address his wounds. A moment ago she had been enraged at him, because he had implied that we was the cause of her baby's death. But now that she knew her baby was alive, being held protectively in Sawyer's arms above her, she couldn't be mad at him. She reached out to check how badly he was wounded.

Sawyer cleared his throat, making her outstretched arm stop mid-motion. "You can only choose one. Only have one. Only save one."

His words struck her like someone had slapped her across the cheek.

"Why only one?" she asked after a pause, her tone both angry and pleading. "Why can't I have both of them?"

"Because the island demands it. It demands a sacrifice." The words were chanted, rehearsed, as if he had known what question she was going to ask.

"Which will you choose?" he inquired. "Will you choose the man who couldn't help your child, or come with me and save yourself and the baby?"

"It's not Jack's fault. He tried! He would never do anything to hurt the baby. He loves Dimitri as much as I do." Even to her it sounded like a weak protest, but it was the truth. Jack had done nothing to hurt the baby, not willingly at least.

All Sawyer did was lift his shoulders and drop them in response. He held out his hand to her, giving her the option of fleeing with him and the baby, or staying with the dying Jack.

Although she desperately wanted to stay with Jack and help him to recover, something pushed her to go with Sawyer. Jack was as good as dead, and her baby would be the same way soon if she didn't leave now.

Sawyer was offering her a way out, something Jack, although he may try, could never offer. She laid her hand in his and he clasped it while cradling the baby in his other arm. He helped her step over Jack's prone form and the two of them escaped down the hallway, completely forgotten by everyone else.

Had she made the right choice? Could she still go back and save Jack? Was there a chance that he would survive? She didn't know, but she decided it was too late. She had chosen her fate. If sacrificing Jack was the only way to save Dimitri, so be it.

Besides, she had Sawyer, and the two of them could be happy enough, right? Even as the thought entered her mind, she dismissed it. She loved Jack, and there was nothing in the world that could change that.

"I know what you're thinking Freckles," Sawyer said, coming to a halt in the middle of a corridor.

"I wish you would change your mind, that I could be part of your life, but I know it's him you want. Go on. Go get him." He jerked his head behind him in the direction they had come.

Kate needed no more encouragement. She only hoped that she wasn't too late; that she was able to change her decision...

Kate's eyes snapped open, and she squinted against the bright lights in her hospital room. The horrible nightmare had left her shaken, if not in body, at least in mind. The disturbing visions caused her heart to ache and bile to rise in her throat. Such a horrible fate could not be true. She could not have to choose between her love for Jack and her child. The choice would be impossible.

And what had Jack done? The dream had hinted that Jack was too late to save Dimitri. _But what from?_ she asked herself. She could only hope that the dream had been wrong. That what her nightmare had shown her would not come to pass. That somehow, she and Jack and Dimitri would all get off this island…alive and intact. She inwardly cringed at the other possibility.

Staring at the white, speckled ceiling, she wondered how many more of these horrible nightmares she would have as she waited to deliver her unborn child.


	29. Chapter 29: A Code

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

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**Author's Note: **This is a short chapter. I just couldn't stand Kate laying there with nothing to do, so I wrote this chapter so she can interact with people. Thanks for reading!

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_Chapter 29: A Code_

"Kate you don't have to worry, the baby will be fine. It's you I'm worried about." Jack's distinctly low voice told her that he was in the room with her, although she couldn't see him sitting beside her. _What is he talking about?_ she wondered.

He paused for a moment, as if collecting his thoughts. Then he sighed, "You said that you don't trust Juliet. Well, I don't either."

Even though she had no idea what he was talking about, she was glad he agreed with her.

"But I still think she has more of a heart than some of the other people around here. I wouldn't say she is on our side though, just to clarify."

Why was he talking about Juliet and her alliances? Why was he making random comments? Then she heard him folding a piece of paper and she understood why he was saying the things he was. He was addressing the points she had expressed in her letter. The letter she had written before her procedure had all but been forgotten.

"I don't know what is going to happen after the baby is born. I've heard whispered conversations, but nothing concrete. What I have heard is disturbing. They want to take Dimitri away and run tests, but I can't even repeat some of the things that they said. Even if you can't hear me, they would be too upsetting." He let out a long, shaky, sigh. "But there's nothing I can really do to prevent that from happening, is there?"

Kate heard the sorrow in his voice, could sense the helplessness that he felt. She was going through the same thing. His words reminded her of the dream she had had the previous night. Trying to not become emotional by the recollection, she attempted to push the dream from her thoughts, but failed horribly. Her vision became blurry, and that was when she realized that tears had formed in her eyes. She blinked quickly and they spilled over the rims of her eyes.

Jack had apparently noticed this, for he touched his hand to her cheek, wiping the watery drops away with his thumb.

"That's strange. You shouldn't be able to cry. All of your brain functions should be shut down by now."

There was enough space on the bed for him to switch from the uncomfortable chair he had been sitting in to where she was resting. It wasn't much more comfy.

Blinking continuously now to keep more tears from forming, Kate could hardly focus on Jack as he leaned over her and kissed her forehead. When he pulled back he gently checked her eyes by holding the lids up with his thumb and flashing a penlight into each one.

She wasn't happy with his ministrations, and blinked harder to get him to leave her alone. Stubbornly she shut her eyes tight, trying to give him the hint to hit the road.

His reaction was the opposite of what she wanted. Immediately after she closed her eyelids, he pried them open again. She sighed inwardly, thinking he hadn't gotten the message, then snapped her eyes shut again.

"Kate?" he asked weakly, "Kate, can you hear me?" He sounded incredulous.

Slowly, she peeked out of one eye, much like a child who was hiding something would. Jack nearly jumped off the bed at her response. Thankfully he contained himself, understanding that if any of the Others knew that she was mentally responsive they wouldn't be happy. He was jubilant.

"You can hear me," he said more to himself than to her. Although she rolled her eyes at his comment, she was thankful that he had finally noticed.

"If you can understand me, then we need to think of a way for you to communicate with me. Obviously you can't talk. Hmm…" A full moment passed while he thought of a suitable code. Kate wanted to tell him that he was thinking too hard, but she was forced to keep her thoughts to herself.

"Okay, two blinks means 'yes' and closing your eyes for a few seconds means 'no'."

Still thinking it was a little too complicated—couldn't it just be one blink for 'yes' and two blinks for 'no'?—she stared at him.

"Understand?" he asked, seeming to hold his breath as he waited for her answer.

She blinked twice.


	30. Chapter 30: A New Arrival

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

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**Author's Note: **If you can't guess by the title, this is the chapter that Dimitri comes into the picture. Hope you like it. Please review!

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_  
Chapter 30: A New Arrival_

The following three weeks were uneventful, although Kate could feel the anticipation and excitement in the air. She, too, was anxious to deliver the baby, but she was also fearful.

What would happen to the baby? Would it even survive? And would she ever be able to recover from being in a coma for so long? Jack had assured her that she would be just fine; however, he didn't give her the same confident answer about the baby.

Other than her daily checkups and Jack's limited visits, she had nothing to do but stare at the ceiling and ponder the meaning of life. Well, she had tried that once, but the topic quickly bored her. Instead she focused on the three frightening nightmares that kept repeating, now on a nightly basis.

The first was always of Jack and Juliet being together and wanting to get rid of her. That one didn't really worry her, but occasionally, it nagged at her brain. She couldn't shake her uneasiness about Juliet. Was she really as different from the others as she seemed to be, or was she just as untrustworthy underneath it all? That was the question of the year. Kate supposed she would just have to wait and see.

The second dream had more of an effect than the first. _Then again,_ she tried to reason,_ any mother would be horrified, or at least a little disturbed, if she saw her mutilated baby on a table._ This was the only dream that changed at all. Sometimes she would chose to stay and help Jack fight for his life, and other times she accepted her new life with Sawyer and the baby.

_But if this _nightmare_ does come true, which one would I really choose? _She was worried that she wouldn't be able to make the choice. Occasionally she thought it would be better for her to die than to have to choose. _No, don't think like that Kate,_ she reprimanded herself. _What you saw is not going to come true, and that's all there is to it. You will not have to choose!_

After she battled with indecision in her second nightly nightmare, she had a third dream. This dream was recently the most frequent, and also the most upsetting. Kate couldn't quite understand it's message though, and she guessed that was why it distressed her so much.

In the dream she was at a funeral. It wasn't her funeral, she knew that much. And it wasn't Jack's because she was crying all over him.

When she first had the dream, she thought it might be Dimitri's funeral, but then she rationalized that the coffin was the size of a normal person, not a baby. Again she came to a dead end. She had no idea why she was so upset in the dream, especially since the people she cared most about were with her and alive. Puzzlement was the reason she dreaded this dream, she decided. Yes, certainly that was it.

She tried to ignore the nightmares as much as she could; she didn't want to start believing they could possibly come true. But still, with so much free time on her hands, the premonitions in the nightmares had popped into her head on numerous occasions.

At the moment however, the dreams were far from her thoughts. All she could focus on was the intense pressure in her lower abdomen. It felt like someone had her rounded stomach in a vise and was trying to squeeze her baby out like a huge pimple. It was the first time she could feel what was happening to her body in three weeks. She wanted to scream, tried to in fact, but her mouth refused to even open a crack.

Juliet strode into the room like she had every other day. Peering over Kate's charts she mumbled a few things to herself, then glanced up at her. She must have seen the pain and fear in Kate's eyes, because she immediately went over to her bed.

Suddenly, Kate realized what the wetness on her upper thighs was. It had been there for quite some time, but she thought that she had accidentally peed herself since she had no control over her bodily functions.

_Oh no,_ she thought, _my water broke. That has to be it. I wish I could talk right now!_

Juliet pulled a heavy-duty walkie-talkie out of her pocket and told whoever was on the other end to get Jack up there quick.

Just when Kate thought the vise like feeling had subsided, it hit again. The muscles had just begun to relax, and then tightened again, causing her to gasp for breath.

A few moments later Jack flew into the room. There was no better way to put it. He literally flew. When he entered the doorway he had been flapping his arms, trying to get them into his blue scrubs. He nearly knocked over a table and Juliet as he skidded to a stop.

"What's her dilation status?" he demanded curtly.

"She's at 10 centimeters," Juliet responded as she read from the printout.

"Contraction intervals?"

"Less than a minute apart. Jack, she's going to have this baby any minute."

"Why wasn't I called earlier?" he all but roared even as he pulled on his white latex gloves. To Kate's amusement and pleasure, Juliet visibly flinched at his tone.

"No one was monitoring her during the night. I only just got here," she stammered to explain, backing away from Jack as if he would lash out at her.

"You mean, she's been having contractions for hours and no one knew? Jesus Christ!" He was in a rage, but was surprisingly gentle as he put Kate's legs in stirrups.

"She could have had the freaking baby and you wouldn't have known until morning. Bunch of idiots. Bunch of fucking morons," he muttered loudly.

_Damn right,_ Kate thought as she recovered from another contraction. It was pure torture, having to lay there without the ability to move, or scream, or push the baby out. She had absolutely no control, and that both enraged her and made her fearful. _Everything will be all right. You can trust Jack._

Unwanted and unwelcome her second nightmare came into her head. Would Jack be able to save the baby if something happened to it? Kate continued to hope and pray that he would.

"I can see a head," he stated. Awe and power radiated from his business like tone. Kate's eyes became misty, half from pain, half from joy.

"Wait a minute," he added, not trying to hide the concern in his voice. "Damn!" he exclaimed.

She could feel her heart skip a beat and nearly stop. Something was wrong. _Please no. Let everything be okay. Let Dimitri live. Don't take him away from me!_ While she pleaded with a higher power, Jack worked fast to untangle the umbilical cord wrapped around the baby's fragile neck.

For a moment the room went dead silent. Jack held the child—his child—in his hands, willing it to breathe, to cry, to move. Kate would have wailed it she could have, but the tears streaming down her face in an uncontrollable river had to suffice. Juliet looked over Jack's shoulder, trying to glimpse the baby.

Kate wanted to kill her in that moment, because she knew that Juliet didn't care whether the baby was alive or not. Oh no, she was thinking of the tight schedule she had and how if the baby died it would screw up everything.

For the tiniest second, Kate wished Dimitri wouldn't breathe, wouldn't cry out, just to see Juliet's disappointed face. Then she cursed herself for having such terribly self-centered thoughts.

Ten seconds of silence seemed like an eternity, but then Dimitri let out a weak whimper, which quickly escalated into a wondrous wail that made everyone in the room smile.

While Juliet cleaned Dimitri, Jack gave Kate the same attention. Once Juliet was finished, she brought their baby boy over to them.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Jack asked in a whisper, clearly awestruck.

She blinked twice in response, although the question was rhetorical. He was the most precious thing she had ever seen. Dimitri had a full head of black hair and chocolate brown eyes. _Just like his father, _Kate thought with a smile. She started crying again and Jack wiped away the tiny drops of water.

She cried because Dimitri was her son, and she couldn't even take him into her arms and hug and kiss him. She couldn't say, "I love you". She couldn't even smile at him or kiss his forehead. She could only gaze at her darling son.

After a few minutes, Juliet interrupted. "I need to take the baby now," she stated.

_No!_ Kate wanted to scream. The urge to hurt Juliet came back, but she also knew that she couldn't do anything about it.

"Can't you wait a few more minutes?" Jack implored.

Apparently he had been right. She wasn't completely heartless.

"You have ten minutes," she said as she nodded. "Then I'll have to take the baby to the New Arrival's Room." She closed the door on her way out, giving the new family some time to be alone before the reality of their situation set in.


	31. Chapter 31: A Quick Recovery

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

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**Author's Note: **Here's another chapter. Only a few left to go now. In this chapter Kate recovers from her coma and is presented with an oppurtunity to leave the island. But will she take it? Please tell me what you think. Hope you like it!

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_ Chapter 31: A Quick Recovery_

"You're doing excellent," Jack praised. "You've successfully recalled and can perform all of your motor functions and you have no problem communicating whatever you want to say."

He helped Kate walk along the hallway. Her legs were still a little week from lying in a hospital bed for nearly a month. Yet, she was determined to get better as soon as possible.

"I'd say in a few more days you'll be back to normal. A full recovery."

"I can't wait that long. I want to leave this place now. I don't want to stay any longer," she told him impatiently as they approached her room.

His response was sympathetic. "Kate, we've had this discussion. You might feel like you're ready to go back to the way life used to be, but you've been in a coma for almost a month and on top of that you just delivered a baby." Turning the doorknob, he opened the door and waited for her to enter her hospital room. Stubbornly, she refused to cross the threshold.

"I know all of that Jack, but I don't care. I don't want to stay here," she repeated.

He let out a sigh. "You need to give your body time to rest. To recover properly. If you don't let it, then you're…"

"Risking my health," she finished his favorite argument. "You don't understand," she stated, irritated now. "Whenever I lay in that bed, I remember not being able to move, or talk, or focus on anything important. I had horrible dreams in that bed, and I'm afraid that they'll come back if I continue to stay here." She held up her hand when he opened his mouth to protest.

"I know it's a silly reason, but I'm just not comfortable here, in this room. I'm…scared to be here. I know I need to recover, and I'll be happy to rest, just not here. Somewhere else. Anywhere else, Jack." She couldn't manage to look him in the eyes as she made her confession, ashamed of her pathetic excuse.

"Okay."

That simple statement caught her attention. _'Okay'? _she thought. _What is that supposed to mean. He's okay with me not staying here? Well that's fine and dandy, but how is he going to get me out of here. It's not like he has power over the Other's decisions._

"Stay here. I'll be right back. I know someone who would be willing to help us." After she nodded, he trotted off down the hallway. Kate didn't know how long he would be gone, so she went inside and sat on the edge of the bed.

Not a full minute later, there was a light rapping on the wooden door to her room. She looked up to see who was there. It was Alex.

"Hi," she said, her voice serene. "Thought I'd knock. You looked like you were thinking about something important. Do you have a minute?"

"Sure. Come in and have a seat," Kate invited, indicating the chair that she should sit in.

"I've heard that you're almost ready to be taken home," she commented.

"Maybe sooner than you think," Kate replied.

"Oh. That's good I guess. And the baby? I'm assuming he won't be going home with you."

Kate didn't want to talk about the sore subject, but thought it would be rude to ignore the question completely. Shaking her head she answered, "No, he won't. They are still monitoring him to make sure the umbilical cord didn't cause any damage, and then, after they're sure he's strong enough…they'll start their tests." The last words came out in a hoarse whisper.

"I didn't mean to upset you with my question. Don't cry Kate," the short-haired brunette pleaded. Alex came over and sat on the bed next to her, wrapping one of her tiny arms around her shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"I just don't understand why this had to happen to me. It isn't fair. It isn't fair to me, or Jack, or Dimitri. No child should have to go through what Dimitri is going to be put through," she sobbed against Alex's shoulder. _Why am I being so emotional? I can't do anything about the situation I'm in. I just need to accept that,_ she scolded herself.

"There is a way you can save him…and yourself," Alex said quietly.

Kate paused in her hysterics to look up into the young woman's eyes. _She can't be more than eighteen years old,_ she realized. But there was a look of wisdom about Alex's eyes that told Kate she could trust her. Alex was offering her hope.

"How?"

"I'm here to extend an offer to you on Sawyer's behalf, since he couldn't physically be here. The invitation he gave to you before is still open to you. He wants you and the baby to go with him and leave all of this behind. I have to admit, it's a tempting offer even for me. I would love to get off this island just as much as you."

Kate was intrigued. "So why don't you just leave?"

"It's not that simple. I've lived here my entire life. These people, as much as I hate them, they're my family. I couldn't betray them by leaving. Besides, I would have nothing in your world Kate. I wouldn't have a home, a family, or friends. I would be a nobody lost in the system. Here, I play a major role in the daily life. I'm not saying that I have the most important job or anything, but I just feel so much more…I don't know, special I suppose."

She had a good point. Even if Kate could never see calling people like Ben and Juliet her family, she could understand where Alex was coming from. She had been born on this island and hadn't known any other life besides this one.

"I don't know if I can leave, Alex. I told Sawyer I wouldn't leave Jack and I wasn't kidding around. I meant what I said. I love him. I don't want to leave him here to rot in hell."

"You know there isn't enough room for all of you."

"Yes, I know."

"The decision is up to you, but you can only chose one path in the end. And you will have to choose soon. Very soon."

Again, her dream haunted her. "Yes, I understand." Then she added, "Is it even possible to escape now? With the baby being in the New Arrival's wing, how would I even get to him to bring him with me?"

"Gregory has a way of getting to the baby, and to you. He has everything planned out. He just needs to know if you are going to accompany Sawyer or not," Alex explained.

Kate hung her head in uncertainty. "I can't decide now," she admitted.

Alex nodded as if she understood her plight. "You have until tomorrow at midnight. By then I will need an answer. The cargo ship will arrive the day after tomorrow, and Gregory needs to know at least twelve hours in advance."

"How will I contact you?"

"You will not talk to me directly. If you choose not to go, you don't have to do anything. But if you decide to go, hang this on the doorknob to your home." She handed her a sign that looked like a hotel's **DO NOT DISTURB **hanger, but instead it read: **DO NOT DISTURB: BABY IS SLEEPING**.

"But the baby won't be with me," Kate reasoned.

"That's alright. No one will notice those words. They're too small on the sign. And even if they do zoom in the camera to see what it says, it won't give anything away. I also doubt they would care about such a small thing."

She stood up and adjusted her t-shirt. "I have to go now. I've already stayed too long. Ben might be looking for me. Good luck Kate. And remember, midnight tomorrow."

She nodded and Alex walked out of the door. As she left, she narrowly missed bumping into Juliet.

"Alex?" Juliet said, confused.

"Hello Juliet. How are you today?"

"Fine," she answered.

"That's good. I was just dropping a present off for Kate. It's just a little thing that made me smile. If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my station now. See you later. Goodbye Kate," she called over her shoulder as she disappeared down the corridor.

Juliet was still recovering from the unexpected surprise, but managed to walk into the room behind a smiling Jack.

"Hello," she said in greeting.

"Hello," Kate echoed. The uneasy feeling returned in the pit of her stomach.

"Jack, why did you get Juliet?" she whispered when he came to sit beside her.

"She's the person that needs to give you a clean bill of health for you to go home," he replied.

The blonde doctor was looking over Kate's charts again. "Well Kate, I think everything here looks just fine. I feel that you can go home shortly, probably later today, once Ben clears the transfer."

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes. You've made a remarkable recovery and I don't see any need for you to stay here any longer. Besides, Jack will be there with you, so if anything should go wrong, he'll know what to do. I'll go speak with Ben about this now." Pivoting, she too left the hospital room.

"I told you she would help us."

"Yes…" Kate agreed. "You did."

"I love you," he whispered against her neck.

"I love you too," she answered, at the same time wondering whether she would ever be able to give him up in an effort to escape from the island with Sawyer and her child. _How could I? I can't betray him like that. If only there were another option. A way all three of us could leave at once…_


	32. Chapter 32: A Discussion

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

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_Chapter 32: A Discussion_

It was noon the following day when they got home. Juliet had problems getting a hold of Ben because there was some kind of panic in station D. They weren't privy to what caused the panic, but Kate wasn't sure she wanted to know. Hanging her sweater on the coat-rack she automatically headed for the master bedroom.

_It feels good to be home,_ she sighed to herself as she kicked off her shoes and plopped down on the comfortable king-sized bed. _Wait a minute. What the hell am I talking about? This isn't my home. This is a prison!_

Jack came inside the bedroom and laid down beside her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her protectively against his body.

"I'm glad you didn't come home until today. It's obvious you're still tired," he added when she turned in his arms with a questioning gaze. Leaning in he kissed her forehead, erasing her pout with his gentle caress. They sat there for a long while, Kate cuddled in Jack's arms while he stroked and played with the loose hair framing her face.

She spoke softly. "Did they ever punish you for failing Ben's test?"

He shook his head. "Only if not letting me stay by your bed twenty-four hours a day was the punishment," he said. "I think they've been preoccupied with the baby business. But, don't worry. I'm prepared for whatever it is they are planning for me."

She wasn't very happy with his answer, but her mind had moved on to other things. Silence enveloped them again, but that silence allowed Kate too much time to think about Alex's visit to her room the previous day.

Eventually she cracked. "Jack, there's something I have to tell you."

"Nothing good ever comes after that line," he said in a joking tone. "What is it?"

"Do you remember how, when Sawyer visited, he asked me to go with him, and I chose not to go?"

"Yes, I remember. You said that you couldn't go because you loved me too much." From his tone, she didn't think that he thought much of it. "I didn't want to upset you at the time, so I didn't mention how stubborn you were being."

"You thought that?"

"Yes. If you had the chance to get off this island and have a better life, you should have taken it. You shouldn't have even had to consider what I would think."

_That makes this a lot easier,_ she thought. "Jack…"

He wasn't paying attention to her at the moment, and interrupted her. "But you know what?"

"What?" she said, slightly exasperated since she wanted to hurry and tell him about Sawyer's new offer.

"I'm glad you chose to stay with me."

She was completely devastated by his comment. _So much for easy. Now what am I gonna do? I have to stay now. I can't just leave him here._ Her mind made up, she muttered, "Okay then, I'll stay."

"What are you talking about? I thought you decided to stay a long time ago. Why are you bringing this up now?" he asked.

She untangled herself from his embrace and stood up, pacing the length of the bedroom. "No use in lying I guess. I've made my decision," she stated more to herself that to him. "Sawyer still wants Dimitri and me to go with him. He's giving me one last chance to change my mind. But I'm not going. I'm staying here with you."

"The hell you are!" Jack exclaimed, leaping off the bed and coming to stand in front of her. Surprised by his reaction, she was at a loss for words. "You are going to go with him this time."

"But you just said that you were happy with my previous decision," she protested.

"Yeah, but that was before I knew you had another chance at freedom. I also told you that you're decision was stupid and that you should have gone."

"You can't force me to go."

"Oh yes I can. You'll go because you know that it's the right thing to do for you and the baby. Come on, Kate, you don't want him to have to grow up on this island, and you certainly don't want him to be a guinea pig for these people. Get out while you can. When you get back you and Dimitri can live a safe, happy life…with Sawyer." He ground out the name.

"What makes you think we'll be happy? Or safe? Have you forgotten that I'm a wanted criminal? I'll be on the run from the moment I step foot on the dock. That's no way for a baby to live."

He shook his head in denial. "Sawyer will protect you. He'll get you off the hook somehow. You know that too. He wouldn't let anything happen to you. At the very least, he could find some place for the three of you to go into hiding until it's safe for you to come out." He paused to take a breath. "Yes, Sawyer will be a good husband and father."

Kate was furious. Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides and she was trying her hardest not to punch Jack. The urge was unbelievably strong. "Sawyer isn't any better than I am! He's a convicted felon! Do you really think he's a good father figure?"

"There has to be something good about him. For Christ's sake, you loved him, didn't you?"

She wanted to scream her denial, but a little voice in the back of her head told her that she would only be lying. Yes, she had loved him. But that feeling was gone now. He had betrayed her trust, ratted her out so he could get his way.

After that, how could she ever truly trust or love him again? She had given him plenty of opportunities to redeem himself, but he always failed her tests in some way or another. No, she was through giving him second chances. And she had Jack…whom she loved with her whole heart.

Now he was telling her to forget about him and try and live happily ever after with her old flame.

"Didn't you?" he repeated, yearning to know the truth.

Kate sighed. "Yes, I did love him once. But Jack, not anymore. I only want to be with you."

"I know," he said, taking her into his arms. He held her a long time before saying, "If you truly love me, you'll leave with Sawyer. I want you to get away from this place. Even if you don't have the most stable life once you get back, you'll at least have the opportunity to make a better life for you and our son."

Kissing her forehead, he begged her, "Please, do this for me."

She couldn't speak but she nodded vigorously against his chest to let him know that he had her agreement.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Later that night, before they went to bed, Kate hung the **DO NOT DISTURB: BABY IS SLEEPING **sign on their front door. Then they turned out the lights and went to bed together, for what would most likely be the last time.

The following morning, the sign was gone.

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**Author's Note: **I hope you liked it! In the next chapter we will find out whether or not Kate will leave with Sawyer, once and for all, or if she will stay with Jack. But, perhaps, there is another possibility. Guess you'll just have to continue reading to find out. Thanks for reading, and please leave comments on the review page! 


	33. Chapter 33: A Midnight Campaign

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

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**Author Note: **Basically this is Part 1 of the great escape. It's kinda boring in the beginning, but I was just trying to set the scene. Hope you like it. Don't forget to review!

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_ Chapter 33: A Midnight Campaign_**  
**

Anxiety and tension festered and built up inside of Kate throughout the day. It seemed like midnight was a million years away. Everything was moving in slow motion and she couldn't focus on one thing long enough to pay attention to what she was doing.

Jack stopped her from starting a small fire in the kitchen when she put a casserole covered in saran-wrap into the oven. He quickly ushered her into the bedroom, forced her to lie down, and took over the duty of cooking dinner.

_I suppose a short nap couldn't hurt. Who knows what's going to happen tonight? Yes, I need to get some shuteye. That way I'll be prepared for anything. _She was proud of herself for thinking ahead. Her last thought as she drifted off to sleep was: _Should I dress in layers, just in case something would come up?_

The clock chimed eight a few minutes after she opened her eyes. Her short, twenty minute, catnap had turned into a three-hour siesta. Disgusted with her own lack of will power to wake up, she walked into the kitchen, rubbing her drowsy eyes with the back of her hands. Dinner was waiting on the table. To her surprise it was still warm.

Jack entered the room, coming from the library. "Hey, you're up. Good." He motioned to the food sitting in front of her. "I made your favorite. The casserole wasn't salvageable. Unless, of course, you wanted to eat melted plastic." Smiling he sat down and uncovered the aluminum container in front of her.

_Lasagna!_ And it smelled divine. Just like her grandmother used to make. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until she took the first bite. She devoured the rest of her meal in less than five minutes.

After washing the dishes Kate went to get dressed. Her favorite pair of jeans fit again, although they were snugger than they used to be. When it came to picking a top she had more difficulty. Torn between her favorite Red Sox t-shirt paired with a light running jacket and the more practical cami/blouse/jacket combination, she couldn't make up her mind.

She knew that she would be more comfortable in the t-shirt and running jacket, but the combination of three tops could be used in almost any situation. If she was hot, just the camisole, if she was cold, all three. Plus, once they got to the US she had no idea how they were going to get money to live off of, so the combination of three tops would last longer than a ratty t-shirt and flimsy jacket. _Still, I really love that shirt. I practically wear it every day. It's super comfortable. But does comfort really matter now?_

Mulling it over, she decided that it _was_ important to be comfortable and able to move without restriction. Laying the other three tops on the bed and shucking off her sweatshirt, she reached for the t-shirt.

"Do you have to wear that one?"

She whirled around at the sound of Jack's voice. His expression nearly tore out her heart. He looked like his dog had just died, or his best friend had been diagnosed with cancer.

"Come again?" she asked, unable to tear her gaze away from his sad eyes.

He walked over to her and began to caress her bare shoulders. "The t-shirt. Do you have to wear it?"

"I was going to. Why do you ask?"

"I'd really like to keep it with me," he explained.

"What?" she asked, perplexed. His expression was so solemn that she almost wanted to laugh. Yet she was truly concerned about him. _I knew I shouldn't have agreed to leave. _"Why would you want to keep this old thing?"

"So I can have a reminder of you once you're gone. So I can feel close to you," he confessed.

His statement was nearly her undoing.

"Of course, you don't have to leave it behind, but I would really appreciate it." Looking into his eyes, she saw the unshed tears.

"You can have it. I _want_ you to have it," she said.

Before he could reply she leaned in and kissed him earnestly. Together they fell onto the bed. They lay there, kissing and caressing each other, enjoying their last hour together in silence. No words were needed to convey the depth of their feelings for each other.

At some point they moved into the living room. Kate was dressed in the three-shirt combination and Jack had her t-shirt draped over his shoulder. Cuddling on the couch, he took his time gently playing with her hair while they waited for the clock to chime midnight.

It was five minutes past the witching hour when the first knock came. Still not sure she wanted to leave Jack, Kate did not get up. When the third knock morphed into a pound, Jack got up.

"Come on. It's time."

Reluctantly she followed him to the front door. When they opened it they were both surprised at the person standing there.

"Sawyer?" Jack said, disbelieving.

"Jesus Doc, are you trying to get me caught? How many times does a person have to knock before you answer the door?"

"Why are you here? I thought Gregory was supposed to come and get me," Kate said.

"Mr. Formality is off baby snatching. We're going to rendezvous with him in just a few minutes. Now are the two of you ready or not? Let's go." He was already opening the door when Jack stopped him.

"Wait. The two of us? What do you mean the two of us?"

"You're coming too Doc, unless you got some reason you want to stay. We've wasted too much time already. Save your questions for later. Now let's move it!" he snapped.

Without any more objections, the three runaways left the temporary home and entered the dark tunnels. The corridor was so black that Kate could barely see Sawyer in front of her. Everything around them was dead silent, the only sound coming from an air conditioner whirring softly off in the distance.

Just like Sawyer had said, a few minutes later the three of them arrived in a room where Gregory was waiting for them in the darkness. In his arms he held a sleeping Dimitri who was wrapped snuggly in a blue blanket.

"I see you've made up your mind then," Gregory whispered to Sawyer, his German accent making the words sound harsh.

The con-man didn't vocally answer and Kate didn't see any non-verbal signs. She was completely confused.

"I just hope you know what you are doing." The German man sighed at the continued silence. "It's damn self—"

He cut off mid word. Footsteps could be heard coming up the hallway. Everyone froze and hoped that it was just the night watchman, patrolling as usual. _That has to be it,_ she thought. _He doesn't seem to be in much of a hurry._

As the footsteps approached the door, everyone tensed up and drew in a breath. As the footsteps passed the door, everyone prayed and time stopped. As the footsteps faded down the hallway, everyone relaxed and began breathing again.

"What were you saying before, Greg?" Sawyer whispered, his suave demeanor recovered almost instantly.

"Shh!" the accomplice chastised. "Never mind that. We have to move, now. Ms. Austen you follow me, Mr. Shepard follow her, and Mr. Ford you bring up the rear. We don't want anyone getting lost or left behind. Got it? Let's go," he ordered without waiting for a response.

He cracked open the door, checking for signs of life, then opened it wider and started going left down the hallway. Kate immediately followed with Jack and Sawyer behind her.

_'It's damn self—" What was he about to say? _she wondered as they climbed a flight of stairs. Not knowing the answer was making her crazy. She almost ran into a table because she was so focused on figuring it out. Then, it hit her. It all came back to why Jack was with them. _He was going to say 'selfish'. It makes perfect sense._

Her reasoning was that the only reason Sawyer would have wanted Jack to tag along was to satisfy his own malicious fantasies. He wanted to see Jack suffer as they pulled away on the escape boat, to rub in the fact that Kate was leaving with him, and that Jack couldn't do a damn thing about it.

She supposed it was the work of his overly macho ego acting up again. He wanted Jack to know that he had won. The sad thing was that he _had_ won. Even though the realization annoyed the hell out of her, it also humored her. _How can any man be that arrogant and pig-headed? Does he really think that I'll ever be the same with him as I was with Jack? Well, if he does, he has a rude awakening coming along._

The foursome, plus the slumbering Dimitri, had been walking along the corridors and up various flights of stairs for ten minutes, stopping occasionally at corners so Gregory could make sure the coast was clear. Just when Kate had decided it was impossible to get out of the maze of underground tunnels, Gregory cracked open a door and she was almost blinded by the light flooding the stairwell.

The leader of the runaways poked his nose out to see if everything was in order, then opened the door just wide enough to slip through. He motioned for the others to follow him outside.

When Kate exited the stairwell she saw that the light that had blinded her wasn't the sun at all. It was, after all, only one in the morning. The light source was from four baseball stadium lighting towers that lined the shore of the loading bay.

After adjusting to the artificial light, her gaze fell on the huge cargo boat that was docked at one of the piers in the bay. She only suppressed her cry for joy with the thought that if she screwed this up now, she would never forgive herself. Freedom was too close to let it slip through her fingers.

On the shore, a tiny tan tent had been pitched. The remnants of a small cooking fire were also visible, the embers still glowing.

"That would be the captain of the vessel," Gregory stated. "I'm going to go and have a word with him," he said, pulling out a handgun from his jacket pocket.

Kate was astonished. "You're going to shoot him? Why would you do that? You said you were going to talk to the man, not kill him for goodness sake!"

The German man actually had the audacity to chuckle at her comments. "I'm not going to kill him, Ms. Austen."

"You're not?"

He turned away and walked off without answering her.

"Now what would be the sense in killing the captain, Freckles?" Sawyer asked, his voice mocking. "We need _someone_ to drive the boat. Trust Greg, he's just going to talk to the man."

"I still don't understand what the gun's for," she said, slightly exasperated.

"Well, if you were him, would you want to leave the island this early in the morning, just to help out some stowaways?" She shook her head. "I didn't think so."

Staring at the enormous cargo ship, she started to question why only two of them could leave on the boat. Seeing as it was actually quite big, she figured that it wouldn't be a problem to hide three people on it. She voiced her opinions to Sawyer.

"I see where you're coming from, and it's not a bad idea, but it just won't work."

"Why not?"

"It's not getting _on_ the boat that's the hard part. It's getting off that's going to be tough. When the boat docks in the States, its shipment is going to be inventoried, and normally they check everything on board. But there's one crate they ain't gonna check, 'cause that crate belongs to Gregory and he's a VIP to these barbarians. And that crate's only so big. Do you see were I'm going with this, Freckles?"

She nodded, slightly disheartened. She had thought that there might be a way to sneak Jack on board as well, but Sawyer has squelched her plan before it had even taken off.

For the first time, Kate noticed that Dimitri had been awfully quiet through the whole ordeal. She flipped back the fuzzy blanket to see his face. He was sound asleep. _Strange, _she thought. Wanting to see him awake and looking at her, she tapped his cheeks gently. No response. She tried again, a little harder. Still, nothing. Now she was worried.

"Jack, something's wrong with Dimitri. He's not responding to me," she knew she sounded desperate, but didn't care.

Jack took the baby and cradled him in his arms. After determining that the baby was still breathing, he glared up at Sawyer, obviously suspecting that he had something to do with the baby's strange silence.

"I guess Gregory didn't mention that he gave the kid a sleeping pill," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck and grinning a nervous smile.

Kate wanted to slap him. She would have too, if she hadn't been so happy knowing that Dimitri would be all right. _On second thought, it was a pretty smart move, _she admitted to herself. _Now he won't cry and make a scene. That makes things a lot easier for us._

Gregory had roused the captain and had already ushered him onto the boat. Kate knew that the time was drawing near. Now was the time when she would have to really say farewell.

"I've never really been good with goodbyes," she confessed, looking at the ground.

"Me either," Jack agreed.

"You guys, there's…" Sawyer started out. "There's something I've got to tell…"

Jack cut him off. "Sawyer, just please, give us a moment. Okay?" He had taken Kate into his arms and when Sawyer interrupted their goodbye he sounded extremely offended.

"But you have to listen to me," Sawyer protested.

Before he could go on any further, or before Jack could argue again, an ear-splitting siren began to blare. It was worse than a firehouse alarm and ten times as loud as standing next to the speakers at a rock concert.

"Shit!" Sawyer cursed. "Run!"

_Famous last words, _Kate thought as the three of them tore across the sandy bay toward the cargo boat.

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**Another Author's Note:** I think I'm going to be mean and make you wait a day or two for the last chapter and the epilouge. He he he. Don't hate me. Maybe if you leave me some more reviews, I'll update quicker. Aren't you just dying to know what happens? 


	34. Chapter 34: A Sacrifice

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

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**Author's Note:** Thanks for all the reviews! The wait is over. Here it is. The last _real_ chapter. I don't want to give anything away by saying anything now. All I have to say is that I think the title of this chapter says it all. Hope you like it.

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_ Chapter 34: A Sacrifice_

Blood pulsed swiftly through every fiber in her body, generating a pounding in her ears. Her heartbeat was erratic and she couldn't catch a proper breath. She had been in some dangerous and frightening situations before, but her experiences hadn't prepared her for this. Before she had been calm, cool, and collected, but she had also had a plan then.

Now there was no plan, no way to predict what was going to happen. Everything was out of her control. She hated that feeling. Really hated it.

Even after living on the beach for two months, Kate had difficulty running at break neck speed across the sand. Jack didn't seem to have any trouble, although he was deliberately lagging behind to stay with her. She ordered him in no uncertain terms to "take the baby and get to the damn boat". Sawyer ran alongside her in Jack's stead.

Just then, the engine of the cargo ship sputtered, then roared to life. Gregory was cutting the thick ropes attached to the dock, preparing to cast off as soon as they were boarded. Jack was nearly at the dock now, Dimitri held protectively in his arms, but he kept glancing back at Kate, making sure that she was all right.

She and Sawyer were only twenty feet from the dock when a man behind them shouted: "There they are! Shoot them!" The chilling voice was loud and clear, echoing off the cavern-like walls of the sheltered bay.

Only a moment after that, the first shot rang out, ricocheting off of the hull of the ship and landing in the water. The gunshots didn't cease after the first round.

It seemed an eternity later that she and Sawyer set foot on the dock. On her third stride, Kate tripped over an uneven plank and went flying forward. She would have fallen flat on her face, but Sawyer snatched her out of the air, like she weighed nothing more than a sack of potatoes, and practically carried her to the side of the ship.

"Don't let them escape alive! But whatever you do, don't shoot the kid!" The voices were getting closer. _They're going to catch us. There's no way we'll be able to pull out of here without getting killed._

Jack pulled Kate on board and Sawyer clamored up behind her. Both men pushed Kate down and out of harm's way. When she asked Jack why his arms were empty he explained that he had handed the baby off to Gregory, figuring Dimitri would be safer with him. She couldn't find error in his logic.

"We have to do something about this. We can't just wait here like sitting ducks. They'll fill us with bullets before we even get out of the bay," Jack pointed out.

"When you're right, you're right Doc," Sawyer replied.

"Kate, you and Sawyer stay here. I'll hold them off," Jack ordered, peering over the side of the ship.

"Are you crazy?" she yelled, incredulous.

"What are you gonna do Doc? Fight 'em off with your bare hands like Samson? You ain't got a real weapon," Sawyer said at the same time, grinning slightly, which Kate thought was completely inappropriate.

Jack obviously hadn't thought about that. Just so he wouldn't sound completely stupid he said, "I'll find a way and do what I have to, to protect Kate and my child."

"Get to the boats!" one of the Others cried.

"Well that's very heroic of you Doc," Sawyer drawled while glancing over his shoulder. "But I got a better idea." From his back pocket, tucked underneath his shirt, he produced a handgun. If she had to guess, Kate would have said it was a forty-five caliber Magnum.

"You think _that_ is going to help you?" Jack questioned, disbelieving. "These people have shotguns and automatic rifles and you're going to try and bust some balls with a cop-killer?"

"What are friends for?" he said, truly grinning this time. Kate thought he had lost his mind.

"Give me that, then get Kate somewhere safe. I'll go." Authority dripped from Jack's words as he held out his hand.

"Sorry Doc, I can't let you do that. After all, you're a family man now. Plus, I'm a better shot." Laughing he stood up and leaped over the side of the ship into the shallow water.

Kate instinctively turned around to look out over the ship's railing. Her reward for being curious was a bullet grazing her upper arm. Strangely, she didn't feel the sting that badly. She was too focused on Sawyer to care. Except for Jack, who began to fuss over her superficial wound, everyone's attention was also on Sawyer.

_Oh God, he doesn't have a chance in hell,_ Kate thought as she scanned the area. He was outnumbered by ten to one, with only a small handgun to defend himself. And yet, there he was, in all his glory, shooting down a few of the Others as they approached the smaller motorboats and dingeys docked along the shore.

He managed to take two of them down, although she didn't think they were dead. Ignoring the Others closing in on him, he aimed for the ones trying to go for the boats in an attempt to give the cargo ship time to make a getaway.

"Damnit Kate, get down!" Jack bellowed in her ear, but she didn't listen to him. Her eyes were on Sawyer and she couldn't tear them away.

_"It's damn selfless." That's what Gregory was going to say to Sawyer,_ she realized. All this time she had thought that Sawyer was only thinking of himself, but she had been wrong. Here he was, sacrificing himself for her and Jack and the baby, and she had thought that he was being selfish. She admired his bravery and his courage and cursed him for the same reasons. _He shouldn't have been put in this position. He should be on this boat, on his way home. Please keep him safe,_ she prayed._ He doesn't deserve this._

Suddenly, the boat lurched forward and began to inch its way out of the bay. Kate scanned the scene at hand again. Sawyer had just loaded his last clip into the gun. Now there were four Others laying scattered across the beach, too severely injured to get up. She hoped they were dead. Three others were bleeding from minor wounds, but she could tell that they had lost some of their bravado. Even though seven of the ten enemies were down, the most formidable ones were still unfazed.

Cane, Jeremy, and Bert advanced on Sawyer. In response, he backed up, wading into deeper water until his waist was completely submerged. Kate knew nothing good could come of this face-off, but nevertheless, she continued to pray for his safety. Only fifty feet away, the adversaries stared at each other for only a few seconds, but it felt as though it spanned over a few lifetimes.

Sawyer got off the first shot…and missed.

It was the only shot he got off. All three Others fired simultaneously. There was no contest. Kate's body went rigid and her heart stopped as Sawyer fell backwards in slow motion, landing in the water with a splash. Turning away from their sinking opponent, the Others went to tend to their injured on shore.

Jack had to shake Kate to stop the continuous scream that she wasn't aware she was emitting. She would have probably collapsed on his shoulder if he hadn't pulled away from her.

Before she knew what was happening, Jack grabbed a life preserver and jumped overboard. He landed feet first in the water without hardly any splash. Her heart felt as if it was going to leap out of her throat.

"Jack! Come back…" It was a weak statement in both context and delivery, but it was all she could manage to say. He had disappeared under the water and she couldn't track his movements.

The Others on the shore glanced up to see what was happening, but they didn't really seem interested in what was going on anymore. Although the Other's demeanor abruptly changed and came across as unnatural, Kate supposed their comrades' injuries were very severe, and their fellow villains were more important to them than the body of an attempted runaway. _Good for you Sawyer, _Kate cheered. _You fought well._

Then she saw Sawyer's body begin to move toward the starboard side of the boat. His head was still above water, but that was all that was visible. Just then, Gregory came out of the helm of the ship to get an update on what was happening. When he saw Kate attempting to pull both Sawyer and Jack on board by herself, he immediately grabbed the rope and began to pull.

It was still a struggle to get two people on board with an emotionally distraught woman and a slight man hoisting them up, but they managed to get them on deck, even as the ship continued to move out of the cavern.

"I'm going to see if the captain can speed things up a little. I want us to get out of here before they have time to regroup." With that, Gregory left.

Jack had already started working on Sawyer, who was, astonishingly, still breathing. His torso was covered with blood, but Kate hadn't predicted it would be in any other condition. She could make out two bullet holes, meaning that one of the Other's had missed their mark.

Sawyer coughed, a mixture of water and blood spurting from his trembling lips. He groaned loudly. Jack was swearing under his breath and looking around him for something that could help him. He needed tools if he was going to save Sawyer. Kate was overwhelmed by the whole situation and couldn't do anything but stroke Sawyer's wet hair and the sides of his face.

Jack ripped up Sawyer's discarded shirt and began to wipe the blood away from the wounds. The unrelenting streams of red began to flow immediately after they had been wiped away. Sawyer was in a great deal of pain; it was obvious by the expression on his face and in his breathing, which was labored and unsteady.

"I need to get the bullets out," Jack muttered more to himself than anyone else.

"Just leave 'em Doc. I appreciate you trying and all, but…" Sawyer gasped for breath and grimaced as Jack applied pressure to his chest in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "We both know this is it…Let me go."

Kate was sobbing, wishing that there were something she could do to comfort him in his last moments. She shifted her position so she could hold his head in her lap. His body was so cold.

"Kate, I need your help," Jack stated. "Keep putting pressure on the wound." He showed her what to do, and Kate obeyed, although her hands trembled violently as she pushed down on Sawyer's chest.

"Don't you dare die on me Sawyer," she managed to say through her tears.

"Don't…cry for me…Freckles. I…wanted this...I wanted to help you. I knew...what I was…getting myself into." His request was broken up by shaky breaths and gasps for air. He broke into another fit of coughing, his whole body shaking. She tried to stop crying since he asked her too, and although she stemmed the flow a little, she couldn't stop the tears completely. The drops of water fell from her cheeks, landing on Sawyer's chest.

Sawyer looked up at the man who pulled him from the bay and what would have been a watery tomb.

"Jack…" he wheezed, and the doctor leaned in closer to hear what he had to say. He knew that he couldn't help Sawyer. No matter what he did, the man laying in front of him was a goner.

"Love her…like I loved her." Sawyer whispered. His eyes fluttered closed as Jack gave him a nod of agreement. Kate forgot about applying pressure to his wound and held him in her arms. She felt his last breath leave his body and he went limp.

Kate clutched his head to her chest, rocking back and forth and kissing the top of Sawyer's head repeatedly. She looked up at Jack and saw that he was just as shaken as she was by what had transpired.

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**Author's Note: **Well, he's gone. Sad, I know. But at least he went out fighting. Hope you liked the chapter. You could tell me by leaving me a review. I'd appreciate it a lot. The epilouge will be up later today. I'll give you some time to recover and wonder about what is going to happen. In case you don't read the epilouge, although you should, thank you for reading! 


	35. Chapter 35: Epilouge

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Lost or any of the characters that you recognize. No copyright infringement is intended. All plots and subplots are original.

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**Author's Note: **Okay here it is. The epliogue. Not sure if it resolves anything, but it wraps things up...Well okay not really. Just read it. Then leave me a review. It's been fun. Enjoy!

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_Epilogue_

The rain hadn't stopped all morning. The local meteorologist had predicted it would rain for the next three days and said that low-lying areas would probably be flooded by the following afternoon. Kate had expected it to rain that day; not because of the nature of the day, but because it was the beginning of April, although the rain seemed appropriate for the atmosphere at the time.

"Mrs. Shepard?"

Kate had been zoned out most of the day. She had hardly noticed the people floating about at the funeral home, and hadn't particularly wanted them to notice her either. Staying towards the back of the semi-crowded room, she had cradled her son, Dimitri, and had avoided being asked too many questions about how she had known the deceased. That was the way she had wanted it.

Now, she glanced up at the young woman standing in front of her. She was tall, slender, and had sandy blonde hair. Sawyer had never mentioned his younger sister on the island, but he had had dozens of photos of her in his tiny apartment in downtown Houston. Kate had contacted his sibling with the bad news and helped her plan Sawyer's final arrangements.

"Angela, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Susan?" Kate questioned, giving a practiced smile. She hated lying to Sawyer's sister, but it was for her own safety, and the safety of her child.

Although the local post offices were calling Kate a deceased fugitive because of the marshal's presumed death, she knew she wasn't completely out of danger of being discovered yet.

Jack had contacted a friend at the local police station, and that friend had said her file was listed as a closed case. But she was still uneasy about staying in one place for too long. It would only take one person to recognize her from a wanted criminal poster and she would lose everything all over again.

She and Jack had decided it would be best to move to Canada after the funeral and put the past behind them for good. He had already purchased a new home in a rural area of British Columbia, complete with a duck pond.

The goal was to stay low-key and distanced from society. With these new living arrangements, Kate thought that they would be able to start over easily. They would have left for their new home as soon as they had entered the States, but she had wanted to attend the funeral service. She couldn't leave without paying her final respects.

"Are you going to be alright?" Angela's question brought Kate back to the present.

Again, she lied. "Yes, I'll be fine," she answered. As she said the words, a tear slid down her cheek and fell on the crown of Dimitri's head. She gently kissed the spot where it had landed and whispered an "I love you" into the sleeping child's ear.

Sawyer's casket was lowered into the freshly dug ground while the priest made the sign of the cross in the air. Everyone repeated his movements and Kate sent up a prayer for Sawyer's soul. He might not have been the most ethical or even good-natured person when he had been alive, but after what he did for Kate, Jack, and Dimitri, she felt he deserved to be given a reprieve from his past transgressions.

Jack pulled her into his side, offering the little comfort he could give. She rested her head on his shoulder. "Do you want to leave now?" he asked.

She didn't answer in words, but nodded her agreement. Everything had gone by so quickly today. She wanted to go up to their hotel room and sleep for the rest of the dismal afternoon.

They had an early flight to Toronto the following morning and then they would pick up a rental car and drive the rest of the way. It was going to be a busy day, so she wanted to get some sleep now, because she wouldn't sleep at all on the five-hour flight or while she was navigating the route to their new home from the passenger seat.

She wasn't looking forward to the plane ride, but Jack had said it would be too risky to cross the border any other way. Although they checked passports at the airports, it would be easier to slip past unnoticed because of the Easter rush.

"I'm going to go and get the car," Jack said, kissing her before walking away.

Kate said her goodbyes to Angela, and then froze.

Ben was staring at her from the other side of the mourners.

Her first instinct was to sprint across the lawn, but her feet were sinking into the ground, her whole body growing heavier and heavier with every breath. She needed to get away, to run to Jack and warn him to stay away.

With that thought she clutched Dimitri to her chest and began walking, but only at a calm, brisk rate so she wouldn't attract anyone else's attention. She couldn't expose herself for who she really was. She would go to prison if she tried to get help now. Her best and only option was to find Jack and get to Canada.

Ben was following her across the grass of the cemetery. As she walked through the crowd she noticed other people moving too. At first she thought she was being paranoid, but when the faces of the people came into view, she almost tripped. Cane, Jeremy, Bert, Tom, and Juliet were surrounding her on all sides and closing in for the kill.

She was trapped.

When they had effectively circled her, Juliet leaned forward and whispered in her ear:

"You may have passed Ben's test…but you failed _my_ final exam."

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**End Note: **How's that for a cliff-hanger? Nice, huh. Unfortuneately this _is_ the end. I never really considered doing a sequel, but maybe...I guess I wouldn't be that closed to the idea. But I'm not sure where the story would go. If anyone has any ideas, I'd be glad to hear them! Just leave me a review or e-mail me to properly thank all of my readers. First, thanks to everyone who read it, even if you didn't leave a review. But a big thank you goes to all of the people who did. Thank you: 

**disneygirl810; NYR88; jennyblueEyes; bonboni; Strizzy; xxCrazyzChickxx; Lost with Sawyer; luanee; DrangonRider8; midnight-sk8r; XxXSkYeXxX; Hero Lilly; speckledgirl**

I can't thank all of you enough!

I'd also like to thank my two Beta readers, Jane and Elizabeth! You helped me so much! Thanks for putting up with me. : )

Okay, I think that is all I am going to say now. I've rambled on long enough. I hope you enjoyed the story! Adieu.

--Trish


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